Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade - IV (1/2)

Serge Prokofieff - His Music and Life

Born in Sonzowka-Jekaterinoslaw/Russia on April 23, 1891, Serge Prokofieff passed away on March 5, 1953. His father was an estate trustee; his mother taught him effusive music classes.

At the age of 9, Prokofieff couldn't read or write, but being able to compose, he started with his first opera. His teachers have been all very well-known: Reinhold Gliere (1875-1956), Anatol Liadow (1855-1914), and Nikolai Rimsky-Korssakof (1844-1908).

The "Piano Sonata f-minor" from 1909 became his Opus 1. In 1913, Prokofieff played his "Second Piano Concerto in g-minor" for the honorable dedication of Serge Diaghilew (1872-1929).

At the end of his studies in 1914, he won the "Rubinstein Trophy".

Prokofieff's ballet "Ala and Lolly" became a flop; some pieces from this ballet, known as "Skythetic Suite" became a scandal in 1916. Prokofieff's ironical hemisphere, especially remarkable in his piano pieces "Sarcasm" (1912, opus 17) widened certain uneasiness among music lovers. 

His "Symphony classic d-major" (1916/1917) became a continuous success.

After the Russian revolution 1917-1918, Prokoieff pulled out to live abroad in Japan, U.S.A., and Upper Bavaria/Germany.His opera "Love to Three Oranges" (1919) also flopped; only the opera march remained as hit up to now.

The children's opera "Peter and the Wolf" is classical music equipment. I grew up with this antique record (by the way, the first in my classical music collection), when I started playing piano at the age of 4 sometime in 1957.

Prokofieff composed fantastic ballet works: "Romeo and Juliet" (1935), "Cinderella" (1941-1944 during World War II), or "The Stony Flower" (1949).

During my stay in Russia in 1981, Prokofieff's ballet works became main parts of Moscow's theatres. Prokoieff's last work (opus 125) has been "The Concerto for violin cello and orchestra", which has been dedicated to Msistlaw Rostropowitsch, a great violin cello virtuoso from the Moscow College of Music.