Sergei Prokofiev

This Soviet composer and pianist born in Sontsovka in 1891 is one of the best examples of the Soviet composition school. His work influenced later artists from his side such as Aram Khachaturian or Dmitri Kabalevsky. Additionally, he is considered one of the greatest classics of the 20th century, who was able to perfectly combine tradition with innovation.
From a young age, Sergei took music lessons from his mother, who was an avid pianist, and at the age of 9, he gave a concert in the comfort of his home presenting his first opera 'Velikan'. When he was 13, he began studying at the conservatory in St. Petersburg, where he was taught by Anatoly Lyadov and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, among others. It was there that Prokofiev began to be interested in slightly more modern styles for that time. He was an anti-romantic and a futurist. In the first decade of the 20th century, his scandalous works astonished the public. In this way, the artist showed the characteristics that were to characterize his style. The music of this composer is grotesque and extraordinary fantasy, lyricism, and the ability to create beautiful and suggestive melodies. Nevertheless, his Symphony No. 1 in D major 'Classical' op. 25 goes beyond this style and is a complete contrast to the 'Scythian Suite' for a large symphony orchestra op. 20 written just 2 years earlier.
After the Bolshevik Revolution, he left the country in search of peace to create his works. The works he composed during this time for the 'Russian Ballets' such as 'The Buffoon', 'The Steel Step', 'The Prodigal Son' were received quite positively, but his comic opera 'The Love for Three Oranges' was met with indifference at its premiere in Chicago.
Lack of success and longing for his homeland caused Prokofiev to return to his country in 1933. Unfortunately, the changes that took place there, namely the increasing censorship and the imposition of canons by the authorities, meant that some of his works were rejected and banned. An example of this may be the 'Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of October' op. 74. Therefore, from then on, Prokofiev's works took on a more classical form. During this period, the composer wrote a symphonic fairy tale 'Peter and the Wolf', ballets 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Cinderella', music for the films 'Alexander Nevsky' and 'Ivan the Terrible', the opera 'War and Peace', Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, and 3 'War Sonatas' for piano. He died in Moscow on the same day and year as Stalin (March 5, 1953).