A troika is a traditional Russian harness driving combination, using three horses abreast, usually pulling a sleigh. It differs from most other three-horse combinations in that the horses are harnessed abreast.
Sergei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé music
Some Russian music used by Woody Allen for Love and Death is the fourth movement, Troika, from Sergei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé suite. It was composed to accompany the film of the same name, produced by the Belgoskino film studios in Leningrad in 1933–34 and released in March 1934. It was Prokofiev’s first attempt at film music, and his first commission.
The five movements of the suite are organised and titled as follows:
- Birth of Kijé
- Romance
- Kijé’s Wedding
- Troika
- The Burial of Kijé
The principal melody in the troika is taken from an old Hussar song, for which Prokofiev provided an optional baritone part.