Works by Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev: operas, ballets, instrumental concertos

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Outstanding domestic composer Sergei Prokofiev is known throughout the world for his innovative works. Without him, it is difficult to imagine the music of the 20th century, in which he left a significant mark: 11 symphonies, 7 operas, 7 ballets, many concerts and various instrumental works. But even if he wrote only the ballet "Romeo and Juliet", he would have already been inscribed forever in the history of world music.

The start of the journey

The future composer was born on April 11, 1891. His mother was a pianist and from early childhood encouraged Sergei's natural inclination to music. Already at the age of 6 he began to compose whole cycles of piano pieces, his mother wrote down his compositions. By the age of nine, he already had many small works and two whole operas: The Giant and On the Deserted Islands. From the age of five, his mother taught him to play the piano, from the age of 10 he regularly took private lessons from the composer R. Gliere.

Years of study

At the age of 13, he entered the conservatory, where he studied with outstanding musiciansof his time: N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Lyadov, N. Cherepnin. There he developed friendly relations with N. Myaskovsky. In 1909 he graduated from the conservatory as a composer, then devoted another five years to mastering the art of pianism. Then he studied the organ for another 3 years. For special achievements in studies he was awarded a gold medal and a prize to them. A. Rubinstein. From the age of 18, he was already active in concert activities, performing as a soloist and performer of his own compositions.

Early Prokofiev

Already the early works of Prokofiev caused a lot of controversy, they were either accepted wholeheartedly or fiercely criticized. From the first steps in music, he declared himself as an innovator. He was close to the theatrical atmosphere, the dramatization of music, and as a person Prokofiev was very fond of brightness, adored to attract attention to himself. In the 1910s, he was even called a musical futurist for his love of outrageousness, for his desire to destroy classical canons. Although the composer could not be called a destroyer. He organically absorbed classical traditions, but was constantly looking for new expressive forms. In his early works, another distinctive feature of his work was also outlined - this is lyricism. Also, his music is characterized by great energy, optimism, especially in the early compositions, this endless joy of life, a riot of emotions is palpable. The combination of these specific features made Prokofiev's music bright and unusual. Each of his concerts turned into an extravaganza. From the early Prokofiev deserve special attentionpiano cycle "Sarcasms", "Toccata", "Delusion", piano sonata No. 2, two concertos for piano and orchestra, symphony No. 1. At the end of the 1920s, he met Diaghilev and began to write ballets for him, the first experience - "Ala and Lolly" was rejected by the impresario, he advised Prokofiev to "write in Russian" and this advice became the most important turning point in the life of the composer.

Emigration

After graduating from the conservatory, Sergei Prokofiev is going to Europe. Visits London, Rome, Naples. He feels that he is cramped in the old framework. Troubled revolutionary times, poverty and general concern about everyday problems in Russia, the understanding that no one needs his music in his homeland today, lead the composer to the idea of emigration. In 1918 he leaves for Tokyo, from there he moves to the USA. After living in America for three years, where he worked and toured a lot, he moved to Europe. Here he not only works a lot, he even comes on tour to the USSR three times, where he is not considered an emigrant, it was assumed that Prokofiev was on a long business trip abroad, but remains a Soviet citizen. He fulfills several orders of the Soviet government: the suites "Lieutenant Kizhi", "Egyptian Nights". Abroad, he collaborates with Diaghilev, becomes close to Rachmaninov, communicates with Pablo Picasso. There he married a Spaniard, Lina Codina, with whom they had two sons. During this period, Prokofiev created many mature, original works, which made up his world fame. Such works include: the ballets "Jester", "Prodigalson" and "Player", 2nd, 3rd and 4th symphonies, two of the brightest piano concertos, the opera "Love for Three Oranges". By this time, Prokofiev's talent had matured and became a model of the music of a new era: the musician's sharp, intense, avant-garde composing style made his compositions unforgettable.

Return

In the early 30s, Prokofiev's work becomes more moderate, he experiences strong nostalgia, begins to think about returning. In 1933, he and his family came to the USSR for permanent residence. Subsequently, he will only be able to visit abroad twice. But his creative life during this period is characterized by the highest intensity. The works of Prokofiev, now a mature master, become distinctly Russian, national motifs are heard more and more in them. This gives his original music more depth and character.

In the late 1940s Prokofiev was criticized "for formalism", his non-standard opera "The Tale of a Real Man" did not fit into the Soviet musical canons. The composer was ill during this period, but continued to work intensively, almost constantly living in the country. He eschews all official events and the musical bureaucracy pays him oblivion, his existence is almost imperceptible in the Soviet culture of that time. And at the same time, the composer continues to work hard, writes the opera "The Tale of the Stone Flower", the oratorio "On Guard of the World", piano compositions. In 1952, his 7th symphony was performed in the concert hall of Moscow, it was the lasta work that the author heard from the stage. In 1953, on the same day as Stalin, Prokofiev died. His death passed almost unnoticed by the country, he was quietly buried at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Prokofiev's musical style

The composer tried himself in all musical genres, he sought to find new forms, experimenting a lot, especially in his early years. Prokofiev's operas were so innovative for their time that the audience left the hall en masse on the days of the premieres. For the first time, he allowed himself to abandon the poetic libretto and create musical creations based on such works as War and Peace, for example. Already his first composition "A Feast in the Time of Plague" became an example of a bold handling of traditional musical techniques and forms. He boldly combined the techniques of recitation with musical rhythms, creating a new operatic sound. His ballets were so original that the choreographers thought that it was impossible to dance to such music. But gradually they saw that the composer was striving to convey the external character of the character with deep psychological truthfulness and began to stage his ballets a lot. An important feature of the mature Prokofiev was the use of national musical traditions, which were once proclaimed by M. Glinka and M. Mussorgsky. A distinctive feature of his compositions was a huge energy and a new rhythm: sharp and expressive.

Opera legacy

Already from an early age, Sergei Prokofiev turned to such a complex musical form asopera. As a young man, he begins to work on classical opera plots: Ondine (1905), A Feast in the Time of Plague (1908), Maddalena (1911). In them, the composer boldly experiments with the use of the possibilities of the human voice. At the end of the 1930s, the genre of opera experienced an acute crisis. Major artists no longer work in this genre, not seeing in it expressive possibilities that would allow them to express new modernist ideas. Prokofiev's operas have become a bold challenge to the classics. His most famous works: "The Gambler", "Love for Three Oranges", "Fiery Angel", "War and Peace", today are the most valuable legacy of the music of the 20th century. Modern listeners and critics understand the value of these compositions, feel their deep melody, rhythm, a special approach to creating characters.

Prokofiev's ballets

The composer had a craving for the theater since childhood, he introduced elements of dramaturgy into many of his works, so turning to the form of ballet was quite logical. Acquaintance with Sergei Diaghilev prompted the musician to take up writing the ballet The Tale of the Jester Who Outwitted Seven Jesters (1921). The work was staged in Diaghilev's entreprise, as were the following works: "Steel lope" (1927) and "The Prodigal Son" (1929). Thus, a new outstanding ballet composer appeared in the world - Prokofiev. The ballet "Romeo and Juliet" (1938) became the pinnacle of his work. Today, this work is staged in all the best theaters in the world. Later, he creates another masterpiece - the ballet "Cinderella". Prokofiev was able to realize hishidden lyricism and melody in these of his best works.

Romeo and Juliet

In 1935, the composer turns to Shakespeare's classic plot. For two years he has been writing a composition of a new type, so even in such material the innovator Prokofiev appears. The ballet "Romeo and Juliet" is a choreographic drama in which the composer deviates from the established canons. First, he decided that the end of the story would be happy, which was in no way consistent with the literary source. Secondly, he decided to focus not on the dance beginning, but on the psychology of the development of images. This approach was very unusual for choreographers and performers, so the ballet's path to the stage took a long five years.

Cinderella

The ballet "Cinderella" Prokofiev wrote for 5 years - his most lyrical work. In 1944, the composition was completed and a year later staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. This work is distinguished by subtle psychological images, the music is characterized by sincerity and complex diversity. The image of the heroine is revealed through deep experiences and complex feelings. The composer's sarcasm manifested itself in the creation of images of the courtiers, the stepmother and her daughters. Neoclassical stylization of negative characters has become an additional expressive feature of the composition.

Symphony

In total, the composer wrote seven symphonies in his life. In his work, Sergei Prokofiev himself singled out four main lines. The first one is classical, which is connected with understanding the traditional principles of musical thinking. It is this line that is represented by Symphony No. 1 in D major, whichThe author called it "classic". The second line is innovative, connected with the composer's experiments. Symphony No. 2 in D minor belongs to it. 3 and 4 symphonies are closely connected with theatrical creativity. 5 and 6 appeared as a result of the composer's military experiences. The Seventh Symphony has become with reflections on life, the desire for simplicity.

Instrumental music

The legacy of the composer - more than 10 instrumental concertos, about 10 sonatas, many plays, opuses, etudes. The third line of Prokofiev's work is lyrical, represented mainly by instrumental works. These include the first violin concerto, the pieces "Dreams", "Legends", "Grandmother's Tales". In his creative baggage there is an innovative sonata for solo violin in D major, which was written in 1947. The compositions of different periods reflect the evolution of the author's creative method: from sharp innovation to lyricism and simplicity. His Flute Sonata No. 2 is a classic for many performers today. It is distinguished by melodic harmony, spirituality and soft wind rhythm.

Prokofiev's piano works were a huge part of his heritage, their original style made compositions extremely popular with pianists around the world.

Other works

The composer in his work turned to the largest musical forms: cantatas and oratorios. The first cantata "Seven of them" was written by him in 1917 on the verses of K. Balmont and became a vivid experiment. Later, he wrote 8 more major works, including the cantata "Songs of Our Days", the oratorio "On Guard for Peace". Prokofiev's works for children constitute a special chapter in his work. In 1935, Natalya Sats invites him to write something for her theater. Prokofiev responded with interest to this idea and created the famous symphonic fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf", which became an unusual experiment of the author. Another page of the composer's biography is Prokofiev's music for cinema. His filmography consists of 8 paintings, each of which has become a serious symphonic work.

After 1948, the composer is in a creative crisis, the compositions of this period are not very successful, with the exception of some. The composer's work is today recognized as a classic, it is studied and performed a lot.