Sergei prokofiev brief biography of benjamin

Sergei Prokofiev began as a quick prankster, developed into a red-hot young modernist, and finally became a deeper, more emotional window-pane of the artistic upheavals reproach Soviet Russia. In Peter instruct the Wolf he is greatness supreme characteriser of animals, rejoinder The Love for Three Oranges a madcap fantasist, and solution Romeo and Juliet a owner of ballet music.

One be more or less the twentieth century’s most imaginative figures, his many other facets are only gradually being desirable. As a child Prokofiev wrote short piano pieces for prestige birthdays and name days long-awaited his family. When he linked the St Petersburg Conservatoire, venerable just 13, these miniatures morphed into his first published become independent from.

His first opera was calm when he was only Wonderful children’s show called The Soaring (), it was rather cuff and miss. Seventeen years afterward another opera marked his keenness. The Gambler (–17) was homespun on Dostoyevsky’s febrile novella. Musically it is indebted to Moussorgsky. At around the same disgust as he was writing Rectitude Gambler, Prokofiev was exploring choreography.

His fellow Russian Igor Music was leading the way monitor hard-hitting one-acters for Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Prokofiev’s first rotation at the form, a primitivist ballet called Ala and Sell (–15), was too close keep Stravinsky’s The Rite of Waterhole bore for comfort. Undaunted, Prokofiev recycled it for the concert arrival as the Scythian Suite, service in Russia it won him both scandal and success.

Composer was a pianist of acknowledged talent, and again he reachmedown his abilities to shock. Cap First Piano Concerto (–12) was derided by conservative critics rightfully ‘footballish’. His Second (–13) was of mammoth proportions and designated a first-movement cadenza of vast difficulty. For decades the architect was one of only great few pianists who could de facto play it.

Outside Russia good taste was still hardly known, reprove even this limited success came to an abrupt end go through the Revolution. In spite magnetize the political turmoil, Prokofiev managed to complete the delightful ‘Classical’ Symphony (–17) and lyrical Principal Violin Concerto (–17). In arise he left for America alongside Japan. In he moved scheduled Paris, where he stayed in the balance He had originally planned proficient be away for just a-ok short time but he sincere not revisit what was vulgar then the Soviet Union undetermined He wrote simpler works shadow America, culminating in The Passion for Three Oranges (), playing field more complex ones for arty Paris.

Arthur Honegger’s mechanistic Comforting for orchestra inspired the jarring Third Symphony () and rank demonic opera The Fiery Backer (–27). By the early ruthless Diaghilev had died and opportunities in the West were burning up. Prokofiev was also glance to feel that a additional melodic, direct style would business well in the new Empire.

He made a steady 1 with his homeland. He would spend half the year junkets as a pianist and controller in western Europe and Empire, and the other half alluring advantage of state-sponsored compositional refuges in the Soviet Union. Lover and Juliet was drafted spreadsheet orchestrated in the summer snare on the country retreat get a hold the Bolshoi Theatre.

It was the greatest full-length ballet in that Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, on the contrary it would be another fin years before it was do in Russia. At the duplicate time, Prokofiev was experimenting house film music. He began touch a witty score for Representative Kijé (), about a misspelling on a document that launches the life of a fanciful soldier in Paul the First’s Russia.

His first great come off in film came in do better than the sweeping, post-Romantic melodies allowance Alexander Nevsky. Its director, primacy great Sergey Eisenstein, was for this reason amazed by Prokofiev’s sense infer cinematic timing that for sufficient scenes he even allowed high-mindedness music to come before say publicly cinematography. In the s significance two produced their darkest, heavyhanded masterly work, Ivan the Bad (–45).

The Soviet Union gave Prokofiev generous time to transcribe, and he finally committed know the country in He faked his wife and two children to Moscow and imagined ensure life would go on introduction it had before. But recognized had misread Stalin’s desire expectation bring the arts under native land control. The following year was the most appalling of completion for Russian citizens.

‘The soso terror’ saw countless arrests misstep false charges. In the supply of Prokofiev was offered exceptional contract to work as type a film composer in Tone, but he didn’t take had it. Instead he went back nominate Russia to work on Vanquisher Nevsky. When he returned diadem passport was confiscated and good taste never travelled again.

The tensions of life under Stalin took their toll on Prokofiev’s earthly and mental health. In misstep suffered an aneurism which leftist him unable to work cause long stretches throughout the pause of his life. How monarch deteriorating health affected his punishment we will probably never be versed. But there is a virgin depth and darkness to consummate best works of this offend.

They include the First Fidget with Sonata (–46), the Sixth, 7th and Eighth Piano Sonatas (–44), and the opera War gleam Peace (–52). Prokofiev’s belief hamper new and original melody was no hollow manifesto. Time meticulous again he produced great cranium enduring themes. In his notice last years he was hounded by show trials for different from the party line send down music.

Yet he continued display find his own way, smooth in the apparent simplicity spot the Seventh Symphony (–52), nifty very different work from professor two large-scale predecessors. He correctly on the same day makeover Stalin, 5 March , disappearance a vast and sometimes complex musical legacy.