In spite of its fairly considerable artistic merit, this Prokofiev cantata is rarely encountered in either the concert hall or on recordings. The composer employed a text by Pavel Antokolsky that recounts a heroic act during World War II by an unnamed Russian boy who, to take vengeance against the Nazi invaders for killing his mother and sister, blows up their commander with a grenade in a suicide mission.

The work opens with a soft but ominous marching rhythm, as if soldiers are approaching at a great distance. Two themes are soon introduced, the militaristic first associated with the Nazi invaders, the second overwrought with anguish and anxiety. The tenor and chorus enter and the march rhythm grows more insistent, the chorus more fanatical. There follow several long lyrical sections involving the soprano and tenor soloists, wherein the latter tells of the story of the "unknown boy." Dark clouds soon appear again: a brutal, colorfully orchestrated buildup midway through based on the invasion theme initially climaxes in the powerful return of the second theme, but after a brief reprise of materials from the opening another buildup leads to a more agitated episode, wherein the invasion theme sprinkles its morbid militarism about the sonic canvas until the music is worked into a frenzy.

Here the beautiful consoling closing theme makes two brief appearances before yielding to reminiscences of earlier material. The theme soon returns and the epilogue that closes the work imparts a sadly triumphant manner: the music touchingly conveys the tragic loss of the boy in his heroic act, but also his inspiration to the Russian soldiers to carry on in their mission to cast out the Nazi invaders. This work typically lasts about 22 or 23 minutes.

© All Music Guide