Sergey Prokofiev

The versatile composer and pianist Sergey Prokofiev (1891?1953) is among the most significant and individual figures in twentieth-century Russian music. Best known for the ballet Romeo and Juliet and his piece for children Peter and the Wolf, Prokofiev wrote primarily for the stage and also contributed notably to the genres of symphony and concerto.

The pressure from Soviet authority, following his return to Russia after years abroad, stimulated as much as it limited his creativity, leading ultimately to the denunciation of his music in 1948 as 'formalistic'. This revealing and comprehensive biography examines Prokofiev's works ? wild, brilliant, lyrical, sometimes unashamedly over-the-top ? as inseparable from the political background of their composition.


CONTENIDO:
Preface
Chapter 1: The Russian Wunderkind 1891?1914
Chapter 2: Ballets Russes and Revolution 1914?18
Chapter 3: A Tale of Three Cities 1918?22
Chapter 4: Lina and The Fiery Angel 1922?7
Chapter 5: The Prodigal Son 1927?9
Chapter 6: Return to the USSR 1929?36
Chapter 7: The Terror 1936?41
Chapter 8: The Great Patriotic War 1941?5
Chapter 9: Winter Bonfire 1945?53
Epilogue
Classified List of Works
Further Reading
Selective Discography
Index

Ilustración de portada por Jean-Jacques Sempé