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| − | ==Works==
| + | okofiev.org/biography/index.html] |
| − | The following list of works is not complete. Some of Prokofiev's music following his return to Russia in the mid 1930s tends towards the banal pap required by the Soviet system.
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| − | *Operas - He wrote 6 operas, all of which have been performed or recorded in recent times and range in style and content from the surreal farce of ''The Love for Three Oranges'' (his most popular vocal stage work) to the brutality of ''The Gambler'', the fierce tragedy of ''The Fiery Angel'' and the epic ''War and Peace''.
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| − | *Ballets – Prokofiev ranks with [[Igor Stravinsky|Stravinsky]] as one of the two great [[ballet]] composers of the 20th century, and wrote 7. His last three are in the repertoire of many major companies. ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''Cinderella'' rank with [[Tchaikovsky]]’s as classical ballets of the first rank. His last, ''The Tale of the Stone Flower'', is not to that standard, but has charming music, carefully crafted not to upset the Soviet “style manual”.
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| − | *[[Symphony|Symphonies]] – There are seven. The first, termed ''The Classical'', is a deliberate throw-back to an earlier time; a neo-classical romp which is performed frequently. His others are deep into the 20th century, and often dark, but melodic and always interesting. They show the two sides of Prokofiev's musical character - the brutal and the lyrical. The fifth and seventh are the most often performed.
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| − | *Other orchestral – he wrote 5 piano [[concerto]]s, 2 violin concertos, a cello concerto (revised as a “Symphony-Concerto”) and a cello concertino - all powerful but frequently lyrical. The 2nd and 3rd piano concertos and the 2nd violin concerto are the most popular. He also wrote an interestingly scored series of dances invoking the Steppes called the ''Scythian Suite'', a reworking of an unsuccessful ballet project during his years in [[Paris]].
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| − | *"Film Scores – There are three: ''Lieutenant Kijé'' (with its famous troika) later arranged into an orchestral suite; a concert favourite - ''Alexander Nevsky'' (with the “battle on the ice” scene that has been borrowed in style and spirit for Hollywood) which became a [[cantata]] for mezzo-soprano, choir and orchestra - and ''Ivan the Terrible''.
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| − | *Incidental music – he wrote original music for stage productions of ''Egyptian Nights'', ''Boris Godunov'', ''Eugene Onegan'' (all by, or created from Pushkin) and Shakespeare’s ''Hamlet''; all in the years directly following his return to Russia, (and all have modern recordings to their name).
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| − | *Chamber music – He wrote a wind and string quintet, 2 string quartets, 2 violin sonatas (the second also transcribed for flute) and a cello sonata. The last is the most approachable.
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| − | *[[Piano]] music – There are 9 sonatas of varying intensity, including the three patriotically inspired ''War Sonatas'', written between 1940 and 1944. There are two series of short pieces with the interesting titles of “Visions fugitives” and “Sarcasms” and other short pieces from early in his career. Much of his piano music is not to be recommended to the unwary.
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| − | *''Peter and the Wolf'' – the popular “Fairy tale” (the story is also Prokofiev’s) for narrator and orchestra deserves its own spot – it has been narrated by everyone from rock stars to Shakespearian actors to cross-dressing comedians to Hollywood “icons”. The simple “motifs” for each character, each on a different instrument or section, are a delight.
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| − | ''Like other great composers he mastered a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti, film music, operas, ballets, and program pieces. At the time, his works were considered both ultra-modern and innovative.'' [http://www.prokofiev.org/biography/index.html]
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| | Outstanding works: | | Outstanding works: |
Sergei Prokofiev (Sontsovka, 1891 - Moscow, 1953) was a Russian composer, one of the greatest of the 20th century. He was also a pianist and conductor. Prokofiev was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize in 1957 for his Seventh Symphony. [1]
okofiev.org/biography/index.html]
Outstanding works:
- Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
- Romeo and Juliet (ballet)
- The Second Violin Concerto
- Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, "Classical" [3]
- Symphonic Suite, Op. 60, (includes the famous Troika).
- The three War Sonatas
- Peter and the Wolf
- Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor
- The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118, (ballet)
- Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
Prokofiev also applied his superb scoring skills to the theatrical stage as well. He wrote music for several plays including Egyptian Nights (1934), Boris Godunov (1936), Eugene Onegin (1936), and Hamlet (1937). Ibidem
Prokofiev died March 5, 1953, the same day as Josef Stalin.
See also
External links
