Even before the last century came to a close, many of the assumptions about the music it produced have been detoured to a provisional area we might call "under construction." Conclusions and judgments that were once accepted as dogma are now revealed as misguided, and overlooked masterpieces seem constantly to come to light, vying for new attention. Even the whole arc of what had been described as musical progress has lost the certainty and triumphant logic that were integral to its narrative.
One such ongoing evaluation revolves around the work of Sergei
Prokofiev (1891-1953), who hardly seems to fit the profile of a
neglected composer. His music, after all, continues to be regularly
encountered in live performances and is richly represented on
disc. Yet despite a status among the great composers of the 20th
century, a surprising amount of Prokofiev is yet to be discovered
(especially in the area of opera). And while the process continues,
it's becoming clearer than ever that this is a composer whose
particular gifts we've never fully understood.
As with his compatriot Dmitri Shostakovich, Prokofiev suffered
firsthand from the totalitarian cultural politics of the Stalinist
regime. Indeed, after nearly two decades spent in voluntary exile in
the West immediately following the 1917 Revolution, Prokofiev returned to his native land just as Stalin's Terror was cracking down in the world of music; in hindsight, it was one of the worst-timed decisions ever made by a creative artist. There he would remain (later enduring the horrors of the Nazi invasion) until his death--and even that Stalin managed to upstage by himself dying within the very same hour.
But the toxic residue left by ideological clashing has yet to be
completely filtered away. Just as it had been within the Soviet Union, Prokofiev's reputation suffered a number of distortions in the West as a result of cold war politics--though, curiously, the accusations hurled by both sides were actually polar opposites (Prokofiev was denounced as a decadent formalist by the one and as a submissive reactionary by the other).
Prokofiev lived at ground zero through some of the century's most creatively exhilarating and most oppressively ugly cultural moments. And for all the extraordinary breaks and subsequent
impediments he faced, he maintained a prolific output of high-quality work--including a number of undeniable masterpieces--across a huge spectrum of musical composition. From symphonies, ballets, operas, and film music, to chamber music and solo piano music, Prokofiev left an indelible mark, imprinting a personal style that is instantly recognizable. Here's a guide to highlights from his major areas of creativity.
ESSENTIAL ORCHESTRAL RECORDINGS
"Bernstein Century - Children's Classics/New York PO"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Fairy tales and magical stories held a consistent appeal for Prokofiev throughout his career. "Peter and the Wolf" remains among his most beloved and successful works--and one of the very best pieces ever to capture a child's attention. Yet this tale of artfully dodging danger also has its potential allegorical aspect.
"Prokofiev: Works for Orchestra Vol I/Jean Martinon"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Prokofiev's seven symphonies range dramatically in style, content, and approach. This box set of orchestral works includes the First, or "Classical," Symphony, in which Prokofiev actually predates
Stravinsky's famous and more vaunted switch to a neoclassical style
that became all the rage in the 1920s. It's a work of ingratiating
charm, wit, and compact elegance. This box set, by the way, is a
steal, featuring the work of Jean Martinon, a wonderful Prokofiev
interpreter.
"HERITAGE Prokofiev: Symphony no 5; Bartok/George Szell"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Along with the First, Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony is his best known,
but it represents an entirely different view of the world. The tuneful First was written on the eve of Russia's Revolution; the Fifth came into being after the tide of World War II had turned, and it exhibits an epic breadth and a nobility through which Prokofiev wished to mirror the "greatness of the human spirit." It's also an example of how Soviet aesthetics didn't always obstruct the composer's creative intuition. For a take different from that of Martinon (above), this account by George Szell is a treasured classic. If you enjoy this work, you should move on to the more difficult--and still misunderstood--masterpiece that is the Sixth Symphony.
"Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet/Maazel, Cleveland Orchestra"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
The problems that Prokoviev had in getting this ballet produced were
sadly all too typical of the impediments he had to face time and again during his career--both while abroad and even more so within the Soviet system. But "Romeo and Juliet" eventually became one of his greatest successes, and remains so to this day. Here (as in a number of other works), Prokofiev turned to the past--specifically,
Tchaikovsky--for his model, but created something entirely his own.
ESSENTIAL CONCERTOS
"Prokofiev: Violin Concertos 1 & 2, etc/Shaham, Previn"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Here are both of Prokofiev's violin concertos, available on one CD in a beautifully polished, fully stated performance by Gil Shaham. These rank among the very best violin concertos in the literature, but both are utterly distinct. The First dates from the period of the Classical Symphony and is a marvel of orchestration--and a prime example, in its mercurial second movement, of Prokofiev's well-known sarcastic scherzo style. The Second, with its expansively romantic brooding, could hardly be further apart.
"Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc/Argerich, Abbado"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
The Third Piano Concerto (from 1921, one of five) is one of the
Prokofiev pieces you'll be most likely to encounter in a concert. It
capsulizes many of the elements that are so exciting about Prokofiev's style, displaying both the essential lyricism of his gift and his sardonic edge, all in a conventional three-movement format that calls for amazing virtuosity. Martha Argerich gives one of the classic performances.
"Prokofiev: The 5 Piano Concertos/Ashkenazy, Previn"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Completists--even beginner completists--however, won't be able to do
without the whole set of five. This is a decent, economically very
attractive option, offering the often inspired accounts of Vladimir
Ashkenazy at the keyboard. As with the symphonies, the piano concertos cover a wide stylistic swath, from youthful bravado to wistful reminiscence.
ESSENTIAL SOLO PIANO
"Gyorgy Sandor Plays Prokofiev - Complete Piano Music Vol 1"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Even if he had never become a composer, Prokofiev would have cut an
extremely important figure in the first half of the 20th century as a pianist. Where he brought the two identities of composer and pianist together--in his concertos and, above all, in his cycle of nine piano sonatas--Prokofiev forged new ground for the instrument, developing a visceral, muscular, steely demeanor at the keyboard that seemed to brush aside romantic transcendence in favor of a new era of unyielding energy and drive. This box offers all nine of the sonatas, including the great trilogy comprising Sonatas 6 through 8 and the masterful Ninth, performed by the brilliant György Sandor--as well as other works, for the price of a single CD.
"Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas nos 2, 7 & 8/Mikhail Pletnev"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
For an example of today's Prokofiev interpreters, Mikhail Pletnev
stands out among the best. This recital features two of the very
greatest sonatas from the cycle: the Seventh and the Eighth.
ESSENTIAL OPERA & CHORAL RECORDINGS
"Prokofiev: Love for Three Oranges/Gergiev, et al"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
Prokofiev made opera a paramount ambition throughout his career, even though an unrelenting series of crushing disappointments and botched productions resulted in some of his unluckiest episodes. This is the genre where Prokofiev probably remains most underappreciated, but that is changing, as can be seen from the Met's new production of his early, Dostoevsky-based "The Gambler"--one of the season's hottest tickets. Each opera has a highly distinctive character, from expressionist experiment to social realism. Perhaps one of the best-known remains his delightfully iconoclastic "Love for Three Oranges," from the composer's early period of self-imposed exile. Kirov conductor Valery Gergiev has been lovingly restoring all the Prokofiev operas to the catalog on disc.
"Prokofiev: War & Peace/Williams, Ognev, Hickox, Spoleto"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
For all of this opera's epic dimensions--four hours of music, 60
roles, frequent scene changes, and scoring for enormous chorus and
orchestra--Prokofiev paints his vast canvas with extraordinary economy and coherence. He achieves a selective, cinematic compression of Tolstoy's masterpiece, featuring clearly delineated principal figures and dramatic throughlines.
"Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Khachaturian/Reiner, Elias"
Sergei Prokofiev
...more Prokofiev here.
No overview of Prokofiev can neglect his innovative work in the area
of film scores, a genre that was taken quite seriously especially in
the early days of Soviet cinema. Prokofiev's visionary collaborations with director Sergei Eisenstein made for an inspired partnership, drawing on Prokofiev's own great gift for musically conjuring the image. This is a must-have account of the choral concert cantata Prokofiev fashioned from his "Alexander Nevsky" score.
OVERVIEW OF RUSSIAN OPERA
Until about 20 years ago, the only Russian operas performed in most
American opera houses were Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin" and "The
Queen of Spades" and Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov." But once-obscure
operas, such as Tchaikovsky's "Mazeppa" and Prokofiev's "The Gambler," are now entering the permanent repertory of several American opera companies.
Read
...more Prokofiev here.
