Synopses & Reviews
Sergey Prokofiev lived a life caught between East and West, old and new. Best known for his opera The Love for Three Oranges, the ballet Romeo and Juliet and the musical fairy tale Peter and the Wolf.
Synopsis
Sergei Prokofiev lived his life caught between East and West, old and new. He was born in Tsarist Russia, but went to live abroad after the Revolution. He returned a decade later, influenced by modern Western music. Today, his admirers celebrate his wit and charm, and the unique blending of the traditional and the modern in his many piano works, his ballet music for Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella, and the musical fairy tale Peter and the Wolf. The Life & Times series tells the stories of those who have shaped our present and our past, from Beethoven to Curie, Dietrich to Wilde. Offering expert, eminently readable texts by distinguished authors, these handsomely designed books feature chronologies, full indices, and striking color photos and illustrations. Together, they form a superb modern library of biography.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Includes discography and list of works.
Synopsis
Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) lived his life caught between East and West, old and new. He was born in Czarist Russia, and belonged to the avant-garde, but left to live abroad during the Revolution. He returned a decade later as a musical celebrity, influenced by modern Western music, but soon his relationship with the Soviet authorities deteriorated into condemnation and censorship. In spite of this, some Western critics have branded his music Socialist Realism and indeed the Soviets praised him for his collaborations with the filmmaker Sergey Eisenstein. Today his admirers all over the world celebrate his music, which includes his many piano works, his opera The Love for Three Oranges, his ballet music for Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella, and the musical fairy tale Peter and the Wolf.
Synopsis
Accessible and affordable biography, illustrated throughout in color
About the Author
Thomas Schipperges is a Lecturer in Musicology at the University of Heidelberg.