Abdel Rahman El Bacha received the 'Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros' for his first recording of Prokofiev's early piano works from Mrs. Sergei Prokofiev herself.
Composer Biography
Sergei Prokofiev, the composer, was a child prodigy, writing his first pieces at five, two operas at eleven, and a symphony at thirteen.
Critical Reception
After a 1918 performance of his First Concerto, Prokofiev was hailed by the New York press as 'the Cossack Chopin of future generations' and in Chicago as 'a musical representative of revolutionary Russia'.
Composition History
Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4, for the left hand, was commissioned by Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in WWI, but Wittgenstein refused to play it, stating he didn't understand a note.
Performer Biography
Abdel Rahman El Bacha, the pianist, is also a composer, and his 'Deux Préludes mystiques' were premiered by the Orchestre Régional de Cannes-Provence-Côte d'Azur in March 2002.
Performer Biography
Abdel Rahman El Bacha, the pianist on this recording, won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium by unanimous judgment and the Audience Prize at only 19 years old.
Historical Context
Unlike Shostakovich, Prokofiev was a nomad, living in the USA and Europe for extended periods, but maintained contact with the Soviet Union and avoided political statements against the regime.
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