Prokofiev anticipated that 'Classically oriented musicians and professors' would criticize his 'Classical' Symphony for its 'Prokofievian dissonances,' but believed true friends would recognize its 'pure Mozartian Classicism.'
Recording & Production
This album was recorded live in DSD 256fs on January 30 and February 9, 2020, at the Barbican Hall in London.
Historical Context
The 'Classical' Symphony was produced in 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution, which was considered odd by Soviet hindsight as Prokofiev 'should have been capturing the spirit of revolution with tense, nervous scores.'
Performer Biography
Gianandrea Noseda, the conductor on this recording, is the Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Composition History
Prokofiev composed large sections of his 'Classical' Symphony in May 1917 without a piano, an experiment he thought suitable for a simple work like this symphony.
Composer Biography
Sergei Prokofiev, born in Ukraine, showed prodigious talent as both a composer and pianist, gaining admission to the St Petersburg Conservatory at age 13.
Compositional Technique
The 'Classical' Symphony's finale includes a flute tune that quotes the innocent theme of the heroine from Rimsky-Korsakov's 1882 opera The Snow Maiden, as a memorial and tribute to nature.
