Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

Russia

Birth

:

April 23, 1891 in Russia

Death

:

March 5, 1953 in Moscow, Russia

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

Sergey Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who was born on April 23, 1891, in Sontsovka, Ukraine. His father was a wealthy agriculturalist, and his mother was a talented pianist who gave him his first piano lessons. Prokofiev showed an early aptitude for music and began composing at the age of five. He studied piano and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he was a student of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Prokofiev's early works were influenced by the Russian nationalist school of music, but he soon developed his own style, characterized by sharp dissonances, rhythmic complexity, and a dry, ironic wit. His first major success came with his Piano Concerto No. 1, which he premiered in 1912. The piece was a sensation, and Prokofiev became known as one of the most innovative and daring composers of his generation. In 1918, Prokofiev left Russia for the United States, where he lived for several years. During this time, he composed some of his most famous works, including the ballets "Chout" and "Le Pas d'Acier" and the "Classical" Symphony. In 1927, he returned to the Soviet Union, where he was welcomed as a hero of the new socialist state. Prokofiev's music was often controversial in the Soviet Union, where the authorities were suspicious of his modernist tendencies. Nevertheless, he continued to compose prolifically, producing a wide range of works, from operas and ballets to film scores and chamber music. Some of his most famous works from this period include the ballets "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella," the opera "War and Peace," and the "Peter and the Wolf" children's story. During World War II, Prokofiev composed several patriotic works, including the "War Sonatas" for piano and the "Symphony No. 5." However, after the war, he fell out of favor with the Soviet authorities, who accused him of formalism and anti-Soviet tendencies. He was forced to make public apologies and to compose more conservative works, such as the "Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution." Prokofiev died on March 5, 1953, the same day as Joseph Stalin. His death was overshadowed by the news of Stalin's passing, and his music was not widely performed in the Soviet Union for many years. However, in the West, his reputation continued to grow, and his music remains popular and influential to this day. Prokofiev's music is characterized by its bold, modernist style, its rhythmic complexity, and its ironic wit. He was a master of orchestration, and his works often feature unusual combinations of instruments and striking effects. His music is also notable for its strong narrative quality, with many of his works telling stories or depicting characters. Some of Prokofiev's most famous works include the "Piano Concerto No. 3," the "Symphony No. 1," the ballets "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella," and the "Peter and the Wolf" children's story. His music has been performed and recorded by many of the world's leading orchestras and conductors, and it continues to be a major influence on contemporary classical music.

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