Sergei Prokofiev, despite having lived abroad for many years, was truly a Russian composer. The decisive virtue of his work, he considered the desire for originality, he hated beaten and imitation.
Biography of Prokofiev S. S .: childhood
The future composer was born in the remote village of Soncovka, located in the Ekaterinoslav province. From an early age, he not only played, like all children, but also studied a lot. During this period, his exceptional musical gift was manifested. At the age of five and a half, Sergey composed the first small play. And since then he has not parted with music. Four years later, the boy easily played Mozart’s plays and Beethoven’s simple sonatas. At the age of 12, Seryozha had already written two operas, many songs. In the same year, a teacher appeared in his life, who in a short time managed to instill in him the skills of a composer. It was Reinhold Glier, then still a young man.
Biography of S. Prokofiev S.: study at the conservatory
At 13, Sergei went to Petersburg. There he appeared before the admissions committee of the conservatory with two folders of his own compositions. The examiner, Rimsky-Korsakov, immediately liked it. Of course, Prokofiev stood the test brilliantly and became a student at the conservatory. His teachers were Lyadov and Rimsky-Korsakov. In parallel, he took piano lessons from Esipova. During this period, new operas, sonatas, plays, symphonies, songs and romances appeared. But Sergey composed really mature things just before the end of the conservatory.
Biography of S. Prokofiev S.: beginning of a creative life
After completing his studies, the young composer immediately won a place of honor in the musical circles of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Not only passionate admirers of the composer's work, but also opponents were not indifferent to his concerts. For the successful completion of the conservatory, his mother gave him a trip to London. The season of Russian opera and ballet led by Diaghilev was just passing there. Creative contact between them was not immediately established. The master considered the first ballet of Sergei banal. But Prokofiev Diaghilev’s advice "to write in Russian" took note. Since then, each of his works has felt a national basis. In addition, acquaintance with Diaghilev helped the composer to get into many music salons. From London, Prokofiev goes to Rome and Naples and gives his first concerts there.
Biography of S. Prokofiev S.: foreign tour
Lunacharsky was very sympathetic to the music of the young composer. After two concerts given in 1918 in Soviet Russia, Prokofiev, through Benoit and Gorky, decided to turn to the narcotic with a request to allow him to go abroad. Soon he received both a passport and an accompanying document. From this moment begins a long overseas period of Prokofiev.
After a
trip to America, followed by a tour in Paris, London. There Prokofiev again meets with Diaghilev, who is already ready to put on the "Jester". Composer recycles music. The staging of this ballet becomes a real sensation. In 1923, Prokofiev finally settled in Paris. From there he makes trips with concerts in European countries and to America. In the same years after the illness, his mother dies. The composer himself marries the singer Lina Luber, they have a son.
Sergey Prokofiev. Biography: return to the country of Soviets
In 1927, and then in 1929, Prokofiev made short trips to Russia. In 1934, he finally decided to stay in the Soviet Union. The head of the Sats N. Central Children's Theater invited the composer to compose a piece of music for the children. Prokofiev agreed and wrote the fairy tale "Peter and the Wolf", which is still popular. True, the path of his ballets to the stage was long, since in Russia they were not accustomed to such music. But gradually the contact was established.
Composer Prokofiev. Biography: the last years of life
During the Second World War, Prokofiev was evacuated and continued to compose. He was sent either to Tbilisi or to Alma-Ata. The creative life of the composer and in this difficult period was happy. But in the postwar years, and he could not escape criticism. In 1948, the composer was declared a formalist. His opera The Tale of a Real Man received an unfavorable rating. Overcoming despair helped Prokofiev the implementation of a new plan - the ballet "Stone Flower". His health gradually worsened, but he could not write. The composer's swan song was the Seventh Symphony, in which children's impressions were intertwined with thoughts about the past and look into the future. Sergey Prokofiev died in 1953, on the same day as Stalin.