Prokofiev was born in 1891 and began piano lessons with his mother at the age of 4, at which time he also
started composing: his first opera, ‘The Giant’, was written in 1900.
In 1902 to 1903 he studied with Glière and in 1904 entered the St Petersburg Conservatory where he
studied with Lyadov, graduating in 1914 with a performance of his own First Piano Concerto.
He had first played publicly in Moscow in 1910 performing his first Sonata and the Etudes op 2 but
Koussevitzky in his role as publisher of the Edition Russe de Musique rejected Prokofiev’s compositions
on the advice of Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Medtner. However Prokofiev found a publisher in Jürgenson and
later Gutheil.
In 1918 Prokofiev travelled to America but initially found it difficult competing with Rachmaninov for
public appreciation and subsequently went to Europe marrying the Spanish singer Lina Llubera in 1923
before settling in Paris.
In 1927 he returned to Russia for the first of several concert tours over the next few years but despite
buying a flat in Moscow in 1932 continued to live in Paris until 1936 when he did finally return to the
Soviet Union.
Three of his most important compositions, the ‘War Sonatas’, were begun in 1939 and were premiered
during the war by Richter and Gilels. These are the 6th, 7th and 8th piano sonatas.
Towards the end of his life Prokofiev, like so many others, fell into disfavour with the Soviet
authorities and died in 1953 on the same day as Stalin.
The following is a selection of piano works by Prokofiev. Although it looks like a long list for a
single month many of the pieces are very short. The Sonatas (as in the case of Scriabin last month)
are central to his output.
Sonatas
No. 1, Op. 1 in F minor
No. 2, Op. 14 in D minor
No. 3, Op. 28 in A minor
No. 4, Op. 29 in C minor
No. 5, Op. 38 in C major
No. 6, Op. 82 in A major
No. 7, Op. 83 in Bb major
No. 8, Op. 84 in Bb major
No. 9, Op. 103 in C major
Studies, Op. 2
Op. 2, No. 1 in D minor
Op. 2, No. 2 in E minor
Op. 2, No. 3 in C minor
Op. 2, No. 4 in C minor
Ten Pieces, Op. 12
Op. 12, No. 1 'Marche'
Op. 12, No. 2 'Gavotte'
Op. 12, No. 3 'Rigaudon'
Op. 12, No. 4 'Mazurka'
Op. 12, No. 5 'Caprice'
Op. 12, No. 6 'Legende'
Op. 12, No. 7 'Prelude'
Op. 12, No. 8 'Allemande'
Op. 12, No. 9 'Scherzo humoristique'
Op. 12, No. 10 'Scherzo'
Sarcasms, Op. 17
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
Visions Fugitives, Op. 22
Op. 22, No. 1 'Lentamente'
Op. 22, No. 2 'Andante'
Op. 22, No. 3 'Allegretto'
Op. 22, No. 4 'Animato'
Op. 22, No. 5 'Molto giocoso'
Op. 22, No. 6 'Con eleganza'
Op. 22, No. 7 'Pittoresco'
Op. 22, No. 8 'Commodo'
Op. 22, No. 9 'Allegretto tranquillo'
Op. 22, No. 10 'Ridicolosamente'
Op. 22, No. 11 'Con vivacità'
Op. 22, No. 12 'Assai moderato'
Op. 22, No. 13 'Allegretto'
Op. 22, No. 14 'Feroce'
Op. 22, No. 15 'Inquieto'
Op. 22, No. 16 'Dolente'
Op. 22, No. 17 'Poetico'
Op. 22, No. 18 'Con una dolce lentezza'
Op. 22, No. 19 'Presto agitatissimo e molto accentuato'
