Born April 23, 1891 in an isolated rural estate in what is
now modern-day Ukraine, Sergei Prokofiev displayed an early inclination for
music. Enraptured by his mother's daily practicing of works by Beethoven and
Chopin, Sergei attempted his first compositions at the age of five. Four years
later, he attempted his first opera—a genre to which he was naturally drawn but
only achieved limited success in during his career. In 1902, Sergei's mother,
with the help of the director of the Moscow Conservatory, arranged for the
composer and pianist Reinhold Glière to spend the summer of 1902 tutoring her
son in music. Impressed with the young boy's potental, Glière returned the
following summer to continue Sergei's education. Seeking out a more favorable
cultural environment, Sergei and his mother traveled to Saint Petersburg in
1904. He was introduced to Alexander Galzunov, a professor at the Conservatory,
who urged him to apply to study there. At the Conservatory, Sergei developed a
reputation as a musical rebel and though he did receive praise for his
original, and often shocking, compositions, he graduated with unimpressive
marks.
Following his time at the Conservatory, Prokofiev traveled
to London where he was introduced to the impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who
subsequently commissioned the ballet Chout (The Fool). The premiere took place
in Paris on May 17, 1921 and was a great success for the young composer,
drawing even the praise of Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel. However, the
ensuing troubled times that engulfed the European continent severely affected
the remainder of Prokofiev's career.
With the outbreak of World War I, Prokofiev returned to the
Conservatory to avoid conscription. Worried that the Germans would capture
Saint Petersburg, Prokofiev decided to flee Russia, at least temporarily, in
1918. In May of that year, he left for the United States but not before making
important acquaintances with the now reigning Bolsheviks. In America, Prokofiev
was compared to other Russian exiles, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff. Unable to
launch a successful career as a pianist and with no luck in his operatic
attempts, Prokofiev moved on to Paris in 1920. Though the French capital was
more accepting to his musical style, critical reception of his work was tepid
at best. In the meantime, however, his music began cultivating a following in
Soviet Russia.
Prokofiev returned to Russia in 1936. Driven by a desire to
return to his homeland, the move was perhaps not in the best interest of his
career. Despite the acquaintances he had made with Bolsheviks before his
departure in 1918, he, along with Shostakovich, came under scrutiny by Soviet
regime, who wanted to turn Russia's artistic focus inward to the entire neglect
of the rest of the world. During World War II, the Soviet's censorship of art
was considerably slackened and the works Prokofiev composed during this time
are often interpreted as a subtle, but harsh, criticism of Soviet policies.
However, after the war's end, the Soviets doubled-down on their control of
artists. Prokofiev was now viewed as "anti-democratic" and much of his music
was banned. Afraid of the consequences of supporting an artist denounced by the
Soviet regime, many concert and theater administrators refused to program
Prokofiev's music. His health declining and his music bearing the black mark of
the State, Prokofiev began to withdraw from active
musical life. At the age of 61, he died on March 5, 1953.
Sergei Prokofiev
Biography
Born April 23, 1891 in an isolated rural estate in what is now modern-day Ukraine, Sergei Prokofiev displayed an early inclination for music. Enraptured by his mother's daily practicing of works by Beethoven and Chopin, Sergei attempted his first compositions at the age of five. Four years later, he attempted his first opera—a genre to which he was naturally drawn but only achieved limited success in during his career. In 1902, Sergei's mother, with the help of the director of the Moscow Conservatory, arranged for the composer and pianist Reinhold Glière to spend the summer of 1902 tutoring her son in music. Impressed with the young boy's potental, Glière returned the following summer to continue Sergei's education. Seeking out a more favorable cultural environment, Sergei and his mother traveled to Saint Petersburg in 1904. He was introduced to Alexander Galzunov, a professor at the Conservatory, who urged him to apply to study there. At the Conservatory, Sergei developed a reputation as a musical rebel and though he did receive praise for his original, and often shocking, compositions, he graduated with unimpressive marks.
Following his time at the Conservatory, Prokofiev traveled to London where he was introduced to the impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who subsequently commissioned the ballet Chout (The Fool). The premiere took place in Paris on May 17, 1921 and was a great success for the young composer, drawing even the praise of Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel. However, the ensuing troubled times that engulfed the European continent severely affected the remainder of Prokofiev's career.
With the outbreak of World War I, Prokofiev returned to the Conservatory to avoid conscription. Worried that the Germans would capture Saint Petersburg, Prokofiev decided to flee Russia, at least temporarily, in 1918. In May of that year, he left for the United States but not before making important acquaintances with the now reigning Bolsheviks. In America, Prokofiev was compared to other Russian exiles, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff. Unable to launch a successful career as a pianist and with no luck in his operatic attempts, Prokofiev moved on to Paris in 1920. Though the French capital was more accepting to his musical style, critical reception of his work was tepid at best. In the meantime, however, his music began cultivating a following in Soviet Russia.
Prokofiev returned to Russia in 1936. Driven by a desire to return to his homeland, the move was perhaps not in the best interest of his career. Despite the acquaintances he had made with Bolsheviks before his departure in 1918, he, along with Shostakovich, came under scrutiny by Soviet regime, who wanted to turn Russia's artistic focus inward to the entire neglect of the rest of the world. During World War II, the Soviet's censorship of art was considerably slackened and the works Prokofiev composed during this time are often interpreted as a subtle, but harsh, criticism of Soviet policies. However, after the war's end, the Soviets doubled-down on their control of artists. Prokofiev was now viewed as "anti-democratic" and much of his music was banned. Afraid of the consequences of supporting an artist denounced by the Soviet regime, many concert and theater administrators refused to program Prokofiev's music. His health declining and his music bearing the black mark of the State, Prokofiev began to withdraw from active musical life. At the age of 61, he died on March 5, 1953.