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Prokofiev in 1918, age 27

Symphony No. 5 (1944)

Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony was written in 1944 at the height of World War II—both a public wartime statement and a deeply personal reflection on human resilience…

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Sergei Prokofiev

(1891-1953)

Q&A

Quiz yourself on facts about Prokofiev

Prokofiev’s

Contemporaries

An in-depth look at some of Prokofiev’s contemporaries, from both inside Russia and outside of Russia

Major Works of Prokofiev

OPERAS

The Gambler (1917)

The Love for Three Oranges (1919)

The Fiery Angel (1923)

War and Peace (1943) considered to be his greatest work

BALLETS

The Buffoon (1915)

Le Pas d’acier (The Steel Step) (1926)

The Prodigal Son(1929)

Romeo and Juliet (1936)

Cinderella (1944)

The Stone Flower (1953) one of his very last works

SYMPHONIES

Symphony no. 1 "Classical" (1917)

Symphony no. 2 (1925)

Symphony no. 3 (1928)

Symphony no. 4 (1930)

Symphony no. 5 (1944)

Symphony no. 6 (1947)

Symphony no. 7 (1952)

OTHER ORCHESTRAL WORKS

Sinfonietta (1909)

Scythian Suite (1915)

American Overture (1928)

Lieutenant Kijé (1934)

Peter and the Wolf (1936)

Alexander Nevsky (1939)

CONCERTOS

Piano Concerto no. 1 (1912)

Piano Concerto no. 2 (1923)

Piano concerto no.  3 (1921)

Piano Concerto no. 4 (1931)

Piano Concerto no. 5 (1932)

Violin Concerto no. 1 (1917)

Violin Concerto no. 2 (1935)

Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra (1952)

Prokofiev also composed 9 Piano Sonatas and an 

immense amount of other solo piano works, including such masterpieces as Sarcasms (1914), Visions fugitives (1917), and others. He also composed numerous songs and occasional works composed to order for the Soviet government. Prokofiev also composed the music for 8 Soviet films. His opus numbers run to Opus 138: quite a lot of music for a 20th century composer. In fact, he is regarded as one of the most prolific of all 20th century composers.




CHAMBER MUSIC

Overture on Hebrew Themes (1919)

String Quartet no. 1 (1930)

String Quartet no. 2 (1941)

Flute Sonata (1943)

Violin Sonata no. 1(1946)

Cello Sonata (1949)

Commentary:

The Five Musical Characteristics of the Prokofiev “Style”

PROKOFIEV ON MUSIC

Here are some famous and not-so-famous quotes by the composer, giving an idea of his views on music and his colleagues.

A PROKOFIEV PHOTO ALBUM

A selection of photos and caricatures spanning the entire career of Sergei Prokofiev, replete with fascinating biographical information on the composer.

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CYS Performance History:

Works by Sergei Prokofiev

CYS has been regularly playing the works of Prokofiev for the last 33 years. Listed below is the performance history:


Romeo and Juliet (1992, 2000, 2006, 2010)

Cinderella (1995, 2005, 2014)

Suite from Lieutenant Kijé (2018)

Piano Concerto no. 1 (1994)

Piano Concerto no. 2 (2006)

Piano Concerto no. 3 (1994)

Symphony no. 5 (1999, 2006, 2018, 2026)

Violin Concerto no. 1 (2003, 2016)

Violin Concerto no. 2 (2007, 2019)

Suite from Love for Three Oranges (2008)

Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra (2008, 2016)


We tend to play a lot of Prokofiev — WHY? A couple of important reasons come to mind:

1) He generally calls for large orchestras with

comprehensive percussion sections, which keeps our percussionists busy back there.

2) His music is both accessible to the general public and rewarding and demanding for players, making for a win-win combination.


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