The premiere of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 caused a scandal, with many listeners leaving the hall in protest.
Composition History
Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 was dedicated to the memory of his friend Maximilian Schmidthof, who died by suicide in 1913.
Performer Biography
Abdel Rahman El Bacha won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition in 1978 at only 19 years old, receiving both the unanimous first prize and the Audience Prize.
Composition History
The original manuscript of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 was burned during the Revolution, and the definitive version is a reconstruction made ten years later.
Critical Reception
After a 1918 performance of his First Concerto, the New York press called Prokofiev 'the Cossack Chopin of future generations'.
Composer Biography
Sergei Prokofiev, a child prodigy, wrote his first pieces at five, two operas at eleven, and a symphony at thirteen.
Historical Context
Unlike Shostakovich, Prokofiev was a 'nomad' who lived abroad for extended periods in the USA and Europe, but maintained ties with the Soviet Union.
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