Santtu-Matias Rouvali, the conductor on this album, became the Philharmonia Orchestra's sixth Principal Conductor in 2021, following in the footsteps of notable conductors like Otto Klemperer and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Composer Biography
Prokofiev, a Russian composer, returned to Russia in 1936 after emigrating to America, partly due to the dominance of Rachmaninov, another Russian composer, in the American music scene.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Prokofiev described his Fifth Symphony as a 'hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit,' stating that the theme was born within him and clamored for expression.
Recording & Production
This live recording of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 was made in the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, on February 9, 2020.
Historical Context
The premiere of Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 on January 13, 1945, in Moscow, was marked by artillery salvos, which pianist Sviatoslav Richter recalled as symbolic of the imminent victory in the Second World War.
Composition History
Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 was composed in 1944, 14 years after his previous symphony, during a stay at a country retreat run by the Composers' Union.
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Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5, Op. 100
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 131
Prokoviev: Symphony No. 4 in C Major, Op. 112
Prokofiev, S.: Symphonies
Prokofiev: The Symphonies
Prokofiev: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4
Prokofiev: Classical Symphony (No. 1) in D major, op. 25; Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, op. 100
