Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A recently (1989) discovered diary of the Russian composer's two-month visit to his native Soviet Union in 1927. Also includes five short stories and his "short" autobiography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Reading a diary is a potentially dreary experience. It can be self-referring, repetitive, and mundane. But this colorful and informative example by the great Russian composer (1891-1953) is an exception, its author being blessed with a considerable literary gift. A secret document that surfaced in 1989, it covers a concert tour of the Soviet Union which Prokofiev undertook several years before his repatriation in 1934. Mixed in with discussions about daily events are assessments about Soviet music and critical observations about the fledgling Communist state, although the latter are carefully and obliquely expressed. Other writings in the volume include five short stories (some incomplete) and an autobiography. The stories are written with keen psychological insight and reveal a lively and occasionally surreal imagination. The autobiography, first published in 1956 and ``extensively revised'' here, complements the much longer Prokofiev by Prokofiev ( LJ 4/15/79), which dealt with his early life to 1909.--Daniel Fermon, Museum of Modern Art Lib., New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) made his first return visit to the Soviet Union in 1927, having left nine years earlier to live in Western Europe. Written in chiseled, spare prose of distinctive beauty and emotive power, this diary of his two-month whirlwind tour provides an unusually detailed glimpse of the pressured world of a frantically busy composer-pianist. It reveals the deep pull that his native culture exerted despite his stance of detachment and despite his wariness of communist bureaucracy and repression. Smoothly translated by painter-sculptor Oleg Prokofiev, the composer's son, this volume offers three complete short stories and two story fragments published here for the first time, including a Chekhovian tale with an ironic touch and a symbolist-surrealist dream strongly echoing his music. A candid 1941 autobiographical sketch throws light on his precocious development and creative process. Illustrated. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

Discovered in 1989, the diary records Prokofiev's only visit to the Soviet Union between his emigration to the West in 1918 and reemigration in 1936. The principal reason for this visit was an extensive series of concerts, primarily in Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Prokofiev documents his performances as pianist and the reception of his compositions, recounts discussions with stage directors for planned performances of his operas and ballets, and tussles with the inept Soviet bureaucracy over performance fees and publishing rights. Remarks on visits with old friends and classmates and comments on other prominent Russian artists are enlightening. The totalitarian menace is evident but in the background; no foreshadowing of his inexplicable permanent return at the height of Stalin's terrorisms is detectable. The "other writings" mentioned in the title include the "short" autobiography which ends in 1937 (Prokofiev lived until 1953), brief reminiscences by composer Dmitri Kabalevsky and violinist David Oistrakh, and four undistinguished short stories. Prokofiev's son is the principal translator. The diary is the only important piece in this book. It shows Prokofiev as a more generous, less aloof figure than he was to become, but still reveals little of the man's soul. Graduate level. R. Zierolf; University of Cincinnati

Author notes provided by Syndetics

The music of 20th century, Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev is a sharp mix of traditional and modern elements. His innovative style is characterized by emotional restraint, strong drumlike rhythms, harsh-sounding harmonies, and humor.

Prokofiev was born in the town of Sontzovka, in the Ukraine. His mother, an accomplished pianist, encouraged her young son to play along with her as she practiced. The young Prokofiev showed unusual talent and began composing music at the age of five. At the age of 13, he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied with some of the finest teachers of the day, including Rimsky-Korsakov. By the time he graduated in 1914, Prokofiev has established himself as a musical innovator.

In 1918 Prokofiev left Russia to appear as a pianist and conductor in Europe and the United States. While in America, he composed his most popular opera, Love for Three Oranges (1919), a musical satire of traditional operatic plots and conventions. From 1922 to 1933, Prokofiev lived mostly in Paris, where he composed two ballets, three symphonies, and four concertos.

In 1934 Prokofiev returned to the Soviet Union. Back in his native land, Prokofiev's style mellowed, and he accepted the idea that a state-supported artist must appeal to a wide audience. During the next few years, he composed some of his most popular and best-known pieces, including Peter and the Wolf (1936) and Romeo and Juliet (1938). Prokofiev won the Stalin Prize during World War II. However, in 1948 Prokofiev and other leading Russian composers were denounced by Soviet Communist party leaders for "antidemocratic tendencies alien to the Soviet people." He returned to favor in the early 1950s and enjoyed great success in the Soviet Union, winning the Stalin Prize a second time. By the year of his death, in 1953, Prokofiev's music had become well known throughout the world.

(Bowker Author Biography)