Sergey Prokofiev, the composer, was born in 1891 in Sontsovka, Ukraine, and began composing at the age of five.
Historical Context
Prokofiev died in 1953 on the same day as Joseph Stalin, and thus did not benefit from the subsequent relaxation in official policy towards the arts.
Critical Reception
Prokofiev's Sixth Symphony was explicitly condemned in 1948, despite an initially favorable critical reaction.
Composition History
The Six Waltzes, Op. 110, are drawn from Prokofiev's ballets Cinderella and War and Peace, and the film Lermontov.
Performer Biography
The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, formerly the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra, was established in 1937 and has collaborated with composers like Prokofiev and Shostakovich.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Prokofiev himself saw his Sixth Symphony as an elegy for the losses of war and considered dedicating it to the memory of Beethoven.
Composer Biography
Prokofiev gained exemption from military service during the war by enrolling as an organ student.
