Sergei Prokofiev is regarded by many experts as a major force in the world of classical music during the twentieth century. His body of work is an impressive collection of works that run the gamut of the genre. He wrote music for symphonies, sonatas, ballets, quartets, and operas. With this in mind, let’s delve into the life and accomplishments of this modern master.
Prokofiev was born in Moscow in 1891, which was before its annexation by the Soviets as one of the Soviet Socialist Republics. He was raised in a rural estate that was far from other people which created an atmosphere of isolation for him.
His talent became clear quite early. His mother jotted down a short composition that Sergei wrote for piano when he was just five years of age. At age seven, he became attracted to chess, a game that he would love throughout his life. By age ten, he had completed his first opera, ‘The Giant’. This would not be all he wrote while only nine years old. He had also written a complete overture and multiple miscellaneous pieces.
St. Petersburg is where Sergei really began to shine. This is where he studied music formally at the city’s conservatory, under the guidance of great composers including Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov. His classmates were quite older than he, which made this a little difficult for him. Many of his peers viewed little Sergei as pompous and arrogant. But this did not keep him from excelling.
The time he spent in St. Petersburg culminated with a competition with four others who were top students in the conservatory. He won this competition with his Piano Concerto No 1. With this, he relocated to London and started making a name for himself as a ballet composer. His work ‘Chout’ gave him wide recognition, in particular from Stravinsky and Ravel. Both of them considered it genius.
Prokofiev went on to compose some of the most glorious works in the library of twentieth century music. ‘Lieutenant Kije’ is a striking suite for orchestra. Its highlight is the segment known as ‘Troika’. And children then, just as today, adored his ‘Peter and the Wolf’.
Prokofiev died in Moscow in 1953. Ironically, he died the same day as Stalin. Since not all of his works were favorably received by the Communists in power during his years of composition, it is really not surprising his passing went unnoticed among many Soviets. However his death did not escape the attention of classical music lovers everywhere.
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