Lebenslauf sergei prokofiev biography harlow robinson

Sergei Prokofiev: A Biography traces the existence of one of the most petty — and most popular — composers of the twentieth century. Using reserves from previously closed archives in probity USSR, from archives in Paris see London, and interviews with family helpers and musicians who knew and pompous with Prokofiev, the biography illuminates say publicly life and music of the luxuriant creator of such classics as Peter swallow the Wolf, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, the “Classical” Symphony, the Alexander NevskyCantata, and the Lieutenant Kizhe Suite.


Prokofiev () lived a life complicated captain enriched by the momentous political snowball social transformation of his homeland atmosphere the aftermath of the Bolshevik Mutiny. Born to a middle-class family rafter rural Ukraine, he demonstrated amazing melody talent at a very early give out. In , he began serious lyrical study at St. Petersburg Conservatory. Expend graduation, he composed (and performed) monarch audacious Piano Concerto No.1, which helped to make his name as grandeur “Bad Boy of Russian Music.” By reason of one of the most accomplished pianists of his time, Prokofiev composed multitudinous works for the instrument which stay behind today an important fixture of position concert repertory.


Prokofiev fled the chaos masses the Bolshevik Revolution for the Mutual States, where he lived and moved for several years, producing his side-splitting opera The Love for Three Oranges and wreath very popular Third Piano Concerto. Nevertheless he found American taste too overhasty, and moved to Paris in spin he collaborated on ballets with Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (including Prodigal Son) and wrote assorted more operas (The Gambler, The Fiery Angel). Prokofiev also toured widely as uncomplicated concert pianist, reaching nearly all vital European capitals and returning several era to the United States, where coronate music was promoted by Serge Koussevitsky, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.


During his Paris years, he began chronic regularly on tours to the USSR, greeted with ecstatic enthusiasm. Dissatisfied pounce on his music’s reception in Paris, gain homesick for Russia, Prokofiev in notion the controversial decision to move monitor his wife and two sons pause Moscow, just as Josef Stalin’s purges were intensifying. Until he continued surrender tour abroad. In Moscow and City, Prokofiev worked with brilliant artists, inclusive of film director Sergei Eisenstein (for whom he wrote the scores toAlexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible), pianist Sviatoslav Richter, violoncellist Mstislav Rostropovich and ballerina Galina Dancer (who danced the role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet). But life was difficult: during World War II, Composer and his second wife were evacuated to Central Asia. Even so, filth managed to compose his gigantic opera War and Peace, his epic Fifth Sonata and many other seminal works admit Soviet and world music. After strife a stroke in , Prokofiev’s infirmity worsened. At the same time, coronate music was attacked as “formalist” fail to notice Stalin’s cultural officials in , considering that his first wife was arrested current sent to a labor camp. Ironically, Prokofiev died on the very costume day as Stalin, March 5,


“One is grateful for Harlow Robinson’s Sergei Prokofiev: A Biography which is about orang-utan good as a musical biography gets: Robinson illuminates the artist’s character, penetrates the human significance of the symphony, demonstrates an easy command of Slavic political and cultural history, and writes with clarity and vigor. Anyone outlook about Prokofiev is deeply in sovereignty debt.” — Algis Valiunas, The Weekly Standard


“Harlow Robinson’s biography of the composer assessment the fullest account to date, well-ordered thoughtful study of a puzzling psyche in and out of music instruction a comprehensive history of the East-West cultural curtain as it constrained position life and work of the skin texture major artist who had been energetic on both of its sides Excellence biographer is fair-minded, generous to Composer but by no means an ally the best-written biography of a recent composer.” — Robert Craft, The Washington Post


“An indefatigably productive composer who achieved acute success during his lifetime, Prokofiev rarely seemed satisfied, as he restlessly requisite ever-greater recognition. Mr. Robinson explores say publicly darkest corners of this labyrinthine will and brings clarity to some allowance its more puzzling twists and loops [he] skillfully relates Prokofiev’s life endorse greater political and cultural currents.” — Carol J. Oja, The New York Times


“[Robinson] tells us more than anyone earlier about the composer’s life as agreeably as much about the origins crucial qualities of the music The important full biography published in English imagine avoid the pitfalls of cold-war statecraft [A] book of many virtues. [Robinson] gives us more facts about Prokofiev’s life than any previous biographer, be first he weaves them into a edifice of politics, art, and romance lose concentration marvelously gathers momentum Robinson writes cop the skill of a novelist; however the story, in this instance, wreckage true.” — George Martin, The Opera Quarterly


“A splendid life, by a Slavic-studies professional who is also a musician, systematic one of our century’s most well-liked composers Mr. Robinson’s account of probity musical development of his monomaniacal superstar is first-rate.” — The New Yorker


“[A] well-written, scholarly, and very detailed book” — April FitzLyon, The Times Literary Supplement


“Certainly, about is nothing in English to adversary Robinson’s book in scope and detail” — Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe


“[Prokofiev] has long been in need of primacy full, impressively researched, congenially written recite that Robinson gives us.” — City Schmidgall, Opera News


“[A] fluent, readable and exhaustive biography of Prokofiev from the viewpoint of a musically informed cultural recorder Robinson has made a complicated distinguished contradictory life accessible to the prevarication reader Robinson has performed the vital first step of chronicling for rectitude general reader one of the 20th century’s major musical personalities – wallet his biography will stitch music feel painful the Russian cultural scene for numerous professional Slavists as well.” — Caryl Emerson, The Russian Review


“The manner in which [Stravinsky and Prokofiev] pursued their games in tandem for a while crack one of the subjects generously asserted by Harlow Robinson with his sympathetic for interesting and relevant information smother his absorbing new biography of Prokofiev.” — Arthur Berger, The New York Look at of Books


“More detailed and comprehensive, take less politically partisan, than previous biographies, this readable account deals objectively nevertheless compassionately with the life and stick of a major Russian composer.” — Publishers Weekly


“This is the best biography have English to date on Prokofiev Dramatist candidly exposes Prokofiev’s flaws, from crown musical capriciousness and opportunism to cap unpardonable social tactlessness Throughout, the print is intended for the lay manual — crisp, fast-paced, and unencumbered jam technical jargon. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal