Prokofiev: Suite from Romeo and Juliet (arr. Borisovsky)

Featuring

Matthew Jones
Michael Ponder
Michael Hampton
Rivka Golani
Sergei Prokofiev

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Composition History

There was an attempt to give Romeo and Juliet a happy ending, with Romeo arriving a minute earlier to find Juliet still alive, but Prokofiev eventually agreed to provide a tragic ending.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Prokofiev stated that his musical style adhered to two main principles: clarity in expressing ideas and laconism, avoiding anything superfluous.

Composer Biography

At the age of fourteen, Prokofiev became the youngest pupil ever admitted to the Conservatory, presenting four operas, two sonatas, a symphony, and several piano pieces for his entrance examination.

Performer Biography

Vadim Vasilyevich Borisovsky, who arranged this suite, is known as the founder of the Soviet Viola School and was the violist for the Beethoven Quartet until 1964.

Composer Biography

Sergey Prokofiev, widely considered one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, was born in the farming village of Sontsovka, Ukraine, in April 1891.

Composition History

Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet was initially declared 'impossible to dance to' and remained unperformed until its 1938 premiere in Brno.

Interpretation

Vadim Borisovsky's transcription of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet for viola and piano is remarkably successful, despite the complexity of the original score, due to his imaginative use of the viola's full register and various bowing techniques.