Great Composers: Sergei Prokofiev

A look at one of the greatest Russian composers.

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Classical Nerd is a weekly video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.

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Music:

- Sergei Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 9, performed by Joachim Parrow
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, Op. 1 No. 2, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette

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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[ClassicalNerd]

Clarification: when I mention Prokofiev being "overlooked" at the end, I mean primarily from the standpoint of both theoretical analysis. In terms of what Russian composers were household names around the time of his death, he ranked only behind Stravinsky and Shostakovich, who I mentioned.

[pljms]

I have more favourites by Prokofiev than any other composer: Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Lieutenant Kije, Alexander Nevsky, Peter and the Wolf, Ivan The Terrible, War And Peace, the Classical Symphony and the 5th symphony, the two violin concertos, the two violin sonatas, the piano concertos 1 to 3, the piano sonatas 6, 7 & 8, the suite from The Love For Three Oranges and the October Cantata. An extraordinary body of work.

[FishOscine]

I had just discovered Prokofiev this morning when his piece Cinderella's Waltz appeared in a recommended Spotify playlist. I loved it and have been listening to/ researching him all day. My initial thought of Cinderella's Waltz was that it resembled a heavily diluted take on Danse Macabre.

[jackwilmoresongs]

Enjoyable video CN. I love Prokofiev's 5th, 6th symphonies. His woodwind orchestration is to me exceptional.
And he creates some atmospheres and moods hard to find anywhere else, IMO.

[langereview]

I adore his piano concertos! Thank you for this video!

[ivankaramasov]

I have been listening a lot to Prokofiev's music the past couple of months. A fascinating and complex composer. I love the piano sonatas. I just listened to the second symphony which I'd say is just as revolutionary as Rite of Spring

[EmeraldVideosNL]

Came across my cd of Peter and the Wolf from my childhood. The only work I know of this composer. Thank you for this biography, this video should have way more views than it has.

[jdiwkall]

Prokofiev's late works are so interesting in that he went into a less dissonant and more tightly constructed works, i.e. last symphony, cello sonata, the last finished piano sonata and last unfinished piano sonata.

Classical nerd, i recommend kabalevsky for your analysis! I find kabalevsky to be sorta similar to Prokofiev but probably more accessible.

[Grisostomo]

Prokofiev is my favorite composer. I like his ballet score for "Romeo and Juliet" "Overture on Hebrew Themes" his film score for "Alexander Nevsky" and all his symphonies. His music is very accessible. And I would argue that his musical score for "Peter and the Wolf" is better known by the general public than anything by Stravinsky or Shostakovitch.

[vladislavshomshin]

Sergei Prokofiev's mother went to a quite prestigious high school in St. Petersburg and her dad was an estate manager. So definitely, she was not from a poor family. Serf in Russian Empire did not mean necessary a poor person.

[Tubajubaduba]

You need to add Ottorino Respighi to this great playlist! Great Videos!

[davidwhite]

Thumbs up, though. Keep these biographies coming!

[JB-tibl]

A Prokofiev Dominant is a "triad built one step below scale degrees 1 or 5."
So, a flat VII chord or IV chord?

[seanramsdell]

More requests: Great Pieces-Enigma Variations & Pictures at the Exhibition; Vieuxtemps, Nancarrow, Elmer Bernstein, Lalo and D'Indy

[AntoineGarnier]

I just saw War & Peace at the opera : just marvelous !

[ternusguitar]

This was fantastic help for my research project. Thank you so much.

[barbaralee]

France and Russia's "Continent spanning bromance"

Subscribed.

[amedeelefroiddemereaux]

Really nice video!
Have you already done something about Ligeti? (Or about me)

[samirachemin]

Great video, I found all the informations I needed just here <3

[eliaseiffert]

Your videos are absolutely fantastic! Could you pls do one about Wilhelm Berger (1861-1911) ?
I think he was a