Much to his own chagrin, Sergei Prokofiev suffered from bad luck in his attempts to mount a successful operatic production. His first opera, The Gambler, based on the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, was already in rehearsals in 1917 when production problems and the Bolshevik Revolution forced the cancellation of its premiere. Undeterred, however, Prokofiev was already looking for a suitable story for his next opera. And he found just such inspiration in The Love for Three Oranges, a play by Carlo Gozzi in the Commedia dell’Arte tradition.
Prokofiev drafted a libretto for the new opera as he traveled to America for his first tour of the United States. With successful performances of his First Symphony in Chicago in 1918, Prokofiev tried at first to pitch The Gambler to the director of the Chicago Opera Association, Cleofonte Campanini. Campanini rejected Prokofiev’s offer, but showed interest the composer’s idea for a new opera. And so, Prokofiev set to work right away, and, at his usual prolific rate of composition, completed The Love for Three Oranges in October of that year.
On December 30, 1921, the opera premiered in Chicago under the composer’s baton. However, its initial reception, on the whole, was icy at best. Criticisms were harsh and much the opera’s slapstick humor was lost on its audience.Productions followed in New York, Cologne, Berlin, and Leningrad, but none failed to create any substantial success. In fact, it was off the stage that the music of The Love for the Three Oranges found its greatest success. The suite adapted from the opera became quite popular, and the March, likely the most well-known number, became the theme music for a popular CBS radio program called The FBI in Peace and War, which ran from 1944-58. This ultimately led to renewed interest in the opera itself and a production by the New York City Opera in 1949 was wildly successful. The production was featured in Life magazine and subsequently went on tour. Since then, it has become Prokofiev’s best-known opera and is part of the standard repertoire of many opera companies.Joseph DuBose
From Elena Kuschnerova's Prokofiev CD (Romeo & Juliet, Sonata No.2, March), released on "Ars Musici" in Germany, 1997
Classical Music | Piano Music
Sergei Prokofiev
March from the opera "Love to the three oranges" Play
Recorded on 01/10/1997, uploaded on 02/14/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Much to his own chagrin, Sergei Prokofiev suffered from bad luck in his attempts to mount a successful operatic production. His first opera, The Gambler, based on the novel of the same name by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, was already in rehearsals in 1917 when production problems and the Bolshevik Revolution forced the cancellation of its premiere. Undeterred, however, Prokofiev was already looking for a suitable story for his next opera. And he found just such inspiration in The Love for Three Oranges, a play by Carlo Gozzi in the Commedia dell’Arte tradition.
Prokofiev drafted a libretto for the new opera as he traveled to America for his first tour of the United States. With successful performances of his First Symphony in Chicago in 1918, Prokofiev tried at first to pitch The Gambler to the director of the Chicago Opera Association, Cleofonte Campanini. Campanini rejected Prokofiev’s offer, but showed interest the composer’s idea for a new opera. And so, Prokofiev set to work right away, and, at his usual prolific rate of composition, completed The Love for Three Oranges in October of that year.
On December 30, 1921, the opera premiered in Chicago under the composer’s baton. However, its initial reception, on the whole, was icy at best. Criticisms were harsh and much the opera’s slapstick humor was lost on its audience. Productions followed in New York, Cologne, Berlin, and Leningrad, but none failed to create any substantial success. In fact, it was off the stage that the music of The Love for the Three Oranges found its greatest success. The suite adapted from the opera became quite popular, and the March, likely the most well-known number, became the theme music for a popular CBS radio program called The FBI in Peace and War, which ran from 1944-58. This ultimately led to renewed interest in the opera itself and a production by the New York City Opera in 1949 was wildly successful. The production was featured in Life magazine and subsequently went on tour. Since then, it has become Prokofiev’s best-known opera and is part of the standard repertoire of many opera companies. Joseph DuBose
From Elena Kuschnerova's Prokofiev CD (Romeo & Juliet, Sonata No.2, March), released on "Ars Musici" in Germany, 1997
More music by Sergei Prokofiev
Piano Concerto no. 2 in g minor, Op. 16
The Scythian Suite
Violin Sonata No. 1 in f minor
Piano Concerto No.2 In G Minor Op.16
Piano Sonata no. 8
Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet
Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, op.119
Dance of the Knights from Romeo and Juliet
Sonata No. 9 in C major, op. 103
Five pieces from the ballet Romeo and Juliet for viola and piano
Performances by same musician(s)
Intermezzo No. 2 in A Major, from Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118
Etude No. 12 in d-sharp minor, Op. 8
Italian concerto, BWV 971
Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
Scherzo - Sonatensatz for violin & piano
Prelude and Fugue in c minor (WTC I) BWV 847
Prelude and Theme with Variations (1982)
Toccata in e minor BWV 914
7 Romantic Ballades Op.2 bis - 4-The Spectres
Minuet
Classical Music for the Internet Era™