# My New Found Love: Sergey Prokofiev (aka the Russians are coming)



## peeyaj (Nov 17, 2010)

Silly of me to discount classical composers who are not of Austrian, German, Italian and French in origin. There are thousands of works, yes , wonderful works that are waiting to be discovered, especially the Russians.

In my middle years of listening to classical music, I held great esteem the: *STR*, that is Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Any Russians who does not bear those surname is a no no for me. In Igor's case for his innovative "Rite" and "Firebird", in Pyotr , the wonderful melodies and in Sergei , the popular Piano Concerto no. 2. I tend to be dismissive of Shostakovitch and his "contemporaries".

Fast forward, this late 2013, and I found a new love. His name: Sergey Prokofiev. As a new one, we have some difficulties.. I found his Peter and the Wolf, absurd and some of his symphonies "very" different. Then the piano concertos.. BAM! I hit the seet spot of my love. They werw quite beautiful especially the 1st (thanks PetrB) and 3rd one. I have found a new understanding of his compositions and now, he is in my top 20 list!! Because of that, I started exploring some of Shosta' works, and the "drunk" Russians. "Glazunov". I find their works very different from the Austro-German ones with much more emphasis in lush orchestral sound.. My journey started now, and now, I have these:

1. The Austrians

2. The Germans

3. The French

4. The Russians

5. The Italians

As a sign, I have this picture in my phone.










 Have you started your Russian journey yet?


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

I've been on a Russian journey from the start. Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Myaskovsky, Weinberg, Borodin, Lyadov, and a few others are absolutely incredible. To ignore the Russians, in my opinion, would be to ignore classical music in general.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

I've been along my Russian journey for the longest time. If you like piano, you should check out these two:

Nikolai Medtner, late romantic, all his piano music is well crafted and polished, kinda like Brahms only not so academic and cold (sorry Brahms fans)

Alexander Scriabin, the first half of his music is late romantic, like Chopin and Liszt combo with a touch of agony, the second half is "mystical" and not completely tonal.

You should give Shostakovich a second chance. I used to be iffy and dismissive, but he's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Try out his earlier symphonies, his violin concertos, and his set of Preludes and Fugues

Also with Prokofiev try out his ballets, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet are my favorites

Welcome to Russia


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Well, I'm not surprised that you didn't care for Peter and the Wolf. You're a bit old for it 

Considering how inventive his piano concertos are, it's amazing that they aren't played more often.
I like the Ashkenazy/Previn/London Symphony recordings....except for the 3rd (Argerich/Abbado/Berlin Philharmonic)


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## Guest (Jan 15, 2014)

I've always been more interested in the periphery of classical music than in the Austro-German core. Since I lived in Russia for a while Russian classical was an early focus. But for me the heart of Russian classical was Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Balakirev. Tchaikovsky - yes, various 20th century manifestations - of course; these are valid extensions of the tradition. But the great Russian soul was best expressed earlier, before the dystopia arrived.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

My Russian (or rather Soviet) journey started over 40 years ago with Shostakovich's and Prokofiev's 5th symphonies. I haven't stopped since. I would urge you to try a listen to Prokofiev's 1st Violin concerto which is just beautiful, the Lieutenant Kije suite, and also some of his less well know works a couple of which are here below to sample.
By the way, your Russian journey definitely needs to include some Rimsky-Korsakov (if it hasn't already). I'd suggest that 'Scheherazade' is a must.

1. Zdravitsa (The Salute), which goes to prove that not all propaganda music has to be bland and uninteresting:





2. Russian Overture - purely orchestral, but so richly orchestrated; colourful and tuneful with unmistakeable Prokofiev-isms 





2.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

My mom was a Russophile: Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninoff from birth. Russian is my native musical language.


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

You should listen to his (Prokofiev's) underplayed _Symphony-Concerto_ for cello and orchestra (used to be called "symphonia concertante"). Also "Alexander Nevsky", and the underplayed 2d and 4th piano concertos (I don't "get" the 5th).



peeyaj said:


> Silly of me to discount classical composers who are not of Austrian, German, Italian and French in origin. There are thousands of works, yes , wonderful works that are waiting to be discovered, especially the Russians.
> 
> In my middle years of listening to classical music, I held great esteem the: *STR*, that is Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. Any Russians who does not bear those surname is a no no for me. In Igor's case for his innovative "Rite" and "Firebird", in Pyotr , the wonderful melodies and in Sergei , the popular Piano Concerto no. 2. I tend to be dismissive of Shostakovitch and his "contemporaries".
> 
> ...


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

*sniff sniff* I never thought this day would come when someone else rather than me would be doing my job. So happy...  *wipes tear*

*Rubs hands together with a smirk* :devil:


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

EdwardBast said:


> My mom was a Russophile: Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakoff, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninoff from birth. Russian is my native musical language.


I am your mother.


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## revdrdave (Jan 8, 2014)

spradlig said:


> ...and the underplayed 2d piano concerto...


Yes, ditto on the 2nd, my favorite of the five. I also urge you to listen to the 4th symphony. Prokofiev's 5th is, of course, the most popular and critical consensus seems to be that the 6th is the best, but I offer a minority report: I think the 4th is one of the great (and most under-rated) symphonic masterpieces of the 20th century.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Yeah. I'll take the 4th over the 6th any day! I find the latter "dull", Prokofiev on auto-pilot.


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2014)

Granted I've only heard like 5 of his symphonies so far (and most of the concertos), I think I may prefer Shostakovich the chamber/solo composer so far. Wonderful preludes/fugues, quartets, piano quintet...


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2014)

Neo Romanza said:


> I've been on a Russian journey from the start. Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Myaskovsky, Weinberg, Borodin, Lyadov, and a few others are absolutely incredible. To ignore the Russians, in my opinion, would be to ignore classical music in general.


Me too. I started with Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. And added the others fairly quickly.

But I never paid all that much attention to nationality in the beginning. And then only for a little while. And then not at all.

Gotta say, though, those symphonies by Terterian are pretty sweet.

Where's Armenia?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The Russians are coming, you say? Nope! They already left!


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Between Prokofiev, Scriabin and Medtner Russians wrote some of the best piano sonata cycles. I suggest the OP check those out.

(Perhaps surprisingly, I don't find Rachmaninoff's piano sonatas very compelling at all even though his other piano pieces are pretty good).


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I heard a great piece by Prokofiev on the radio tonight. Sonata in D Major for flute and piano, but it was arranged for bassoon and piano.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

Russian composers have always been my favorite. I like the more Romantic-style Russians like Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, and Rachmaninov. I like the modern like Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, and I like the "eastern"-influenced nationalist ones like Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, and Ippolitov-Ivanov. Russian classical music has always been special to me and out of my 10 favorite composers, more than half of them are Russian.

And I do _highly_ recommend Rimsky-Korsakov! In particular: Scheherazade, Russian Easter Overture, The Tsar Saltan Suite, and Capriccio Espganol


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Shostakovich! Go for Dmitri - look out for his piano works (esp the 24 preludes and fugues), string quartets and the Songs from Jewish Folk Poetry. And then have a go at the symphonies

Glad to see Medtner and Scriabin recommended earlier as well

oh ..... and start exploring the pianists, violinists and orchestras etc as well - there are heaps and heaps of them of top-drawer quality who were almost unknown in the west during the Soviet era .... and ofetn they give fantastic insights into the music, both Russian and otherwise


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

starthrower said:


> I heard a great piece by Prokofiev on the radio tonight. Sonata in D Major for flute and piano, but it was arranged for bassoon and piano.


Hear it as a violin/piano sonata too!


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## Eschbeg (Jul 25, 2012)

My favorite Prokofieff piece is an early one: the Op. 11 Toccata.






There are better interpretations of the piece available on YouTube, but I'm posting this one because it provides a great view of the pianist's hands, which is half the fun of experiencing this wicked piece.


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich and Scriabin are among my favorite composers of all time, I also love Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Khatchaturian, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Kabalevsky and Rubinstein


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Prokofiev is in my top 5 of all time at this time.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

I have been pondering a related question over the last few weeks and this might be an appropriate circumstance to air a few ideas that may be of interest to others who are looking at this thread..
In my mid fifties I well remember the apparently received wisdom regarding certain Russian composers when I was in my childhood and teens. Tchaikovsky symphonies and ballets, the piano concerto(as if he only wrote one) and of course the Rachmaninov piano concerto (again singular!)-these were the works to listen to, part of 'the canon' and if you wanted to branch out go to Scheherazade or the Polotsvian dances. I personally found the Tchaikovsky symphonies to be overwhelmingly introspective and maudlin and on reflection I sometimes wonder whether this championing of certain areas of Russian music by the older generation went hand in hand with a certain stereotyping of the Russian peoples and a an association with a presumed heroic and artistic character and even the benign image of 'Uncle Joe' left over from WW2.....anyway I digress....I went off to listen to Yes and begin my lifelong concern for the music of Sibelius....
As a student I studied Russian history and literature for part of the time and became quickly aware of certain works by Shostakovich, the 5th,the piano quintet and concertos and it was at this point were I also began to develop a strange association between Prokofiev 7th and the Xmas period....
I have skirted round Russian music, always been a little wary I suppose but recently with more time and inclination I have begun to broaden my listening having spent last summer investigating mainly Czech and English 20th century music...
so this winter I return to Russian (or I suppose more accurately in some cases Soviet) and by following my nose,looking at certain books and websites and the erstwhile advice of Tc'ers I have now encountered some of the most enjoyable and interesting music I think I have heard......presently the two symphonies of Kalinnikov , the cello concertos and sonatas and some of the symphonies of Myaskovsky and the piano concertos of the much maligned Kabalevsky....
so-in a spirit of optimism I decide to return to Thaikovsky 6th and Rachmaninov 2nd symphony-for some reason I have recordings stuck away-and I still cannot really say I enjoyed either....but as for Glazunov 5th-now there is a symphony!

the Russians are coming-but only some of them are welcome round these parts, but what a welcome it is!


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

re Shostakovich: I also recommend the _Festive Overture_, both piano concertos and cello concertos (the 2d is unjustly neglected), the first violin concerto (the second is even more neglected than the second cello concerto, and I don't know if it deserves it), the cello sonata, and the Concertino for two pianos.

I find some of his symphonies more accessible than others. I would recommend starting with #5, 9, 10, and 15.



Headphone Hermit said:


> Shostakovich! Go for Dmitri - look out for his piano works (esp the 24 preludes and fugues), string quartets and the Songs from Jewish Folk Poetry. And then have a go at the symphonies
> 
> Glad to see Medtner and Scriabin recommended earlier as well
> 
> oh ..... and start exploring the pianists, violinists and orchestras etc as well - there are heaps and heaps of them of top-drawer quality who were almost unknown in the west during the Soviet era .... and ofetn they give fantastic insights into the music, both Russian and otherwise


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

spradlig said:


> re Shostakovich: I also recommend the _Festive Overture_, both piano concertos and cello concertos (the 2d is unjustly neglected), the first violin concerto (the second is even more neglected than the second cello concerto, and I don't know if it deserves it), the cello sonata, and the Concertino for two pianos.
> 
> I find some of his symphonies more accessible than others. I would recommend starting with #5, 9, 10, and 15.


A good list. I might add Symphony #1. Newcomers to DSCH might find his 2nd Cello Concerto puzzling, but it's very rewarding once you get used to his sometimes-ambiguous ways.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I've been listening to Prokofiev since a kid. My mother bought the LP "Prokofiev's Head." (Sorry, no image from my iPad) 
I hate excerpts now, but as a 10 yr old, this album was great. 

Tracklist
A1 Scythian Suite	20:52
A2 Piano Sonata No. 8 (Excerpt)	5:21
B1 Symphony No. 5 (Excerpt)	9:31
B2 Classical Symphony (Excerpt)	4:13
B3 Prodigal Son (Excerpt)	3:13
B4 Violin Concerto No. 1 (Excerpt)	3:43
B5 Romeo And Juliet (Excerpt)	5:59
B6 Cinderella (Excerpt)	2:00


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2014)

some guy said:


> But I never paid all that much attention to nationality in the beginning.


It's an interesting thought, which has doubtless been aired and debated often enough already. Although aware that I'm currently enjoying two Russians (SP and DSCH) to add to the third I'd already got in my top ten (IS), is it of relevance? I'm fairly sure that what I most like about classical is evident in composers of all nationalities...yet maybe there is an underlying subtle something that these have in common that is subconsciously appealing?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

starthrower said:


> I heard a great piece by Prokofiev on the radio tonight. Sonata in D Major for flute and piano, but it was arranged for bassoon and piano.


This was originally for violin and piano.


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

"the russians are coming"

That's what Ukraine said.


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## Serge (Mar 25, 2010)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> I am your mother.


Pink panties? Yes, you are my mother!


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## Serge (Mar 25, 2010)

Dustin said:


> "the russians are coming"
> 
> That's what Ukraine said.


Naw, they didn't mean it.


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## Petwhac (Jun 9, 2010)

*The Russians Are Coming............*

http://www.sadanduseless.com/animation.php?n=116


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