Did Sergei Prokofiev ever imagine his name gracing a plaque here? This plaque commemorates the great Soviet composer Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev. It marks a period in his life from 1913 to 1917. During this time, Prokofiev lived and worked in this building.
Sergei Prokofiev was born in 1891 in Sontsovka. It was a rural estate in what is now Ukraine. His father was an agronomist and his mother a lover of music. She spent two months each year in Moscow or St Petersburg taking piano lessons. Sergei was inspired by his mother’s playing. He wrote his first piano piece at the age of five.
Prokofiev’s early life was filled with music. At age nine, he was composing operas and overtures. Opera became his favorite genre. In 1902, he began formal lessons. Composer Reinhold Gliere taught him. Gliere found him to be a talented student.
In 1904, Prokofiev’s family moved to Saint Petersburg. There, he applied to the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Alexander Glazunov, a professor, recognized his talent. Prokofiev enrolled that year. He was several years younger than his classmates. Some found him eccentric and arrogant. He studied with renowned composers. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov taught him orchestration.
Prokofiev gained a reputation as a musical rebel. He was praised for his original piano compositions. In 1910, his father died. This ended Sergei’s financial support. He made a name for himself outside the Conservatory. He performed his adventurous piano works. These included his dissonant Etudes.
In 1913, Prokofiev made his first trip abroad. He traveled to Paris and London. There, he encountered Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Diaghilev commissioned Prokofiev’s first ballet.
During World War I, Prokofiev avoided conscription by studying organ. In 1917, he composed his first symphony. He called it the Classical Symphony. He felt it was in the style of Joseph Haydn. That same year, he composed his Violin Concerto No. 1.
After the Revolution, Prokofiev left Russia. He resided in the United States, Germany, and Paris. He worked as a composer, pianist, and conductor.
In the early 1930s, Prokofiev’s opportunities decreased in the West. He increasingly sought commissions from the Soviet Union. In 1936, he returned to his homeland with his family.
His Soviet successes included Lieutenant Kije and Peter and the Wolf. He also composed Romeo and Juliet and the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. The Nazi invasion spurred him to compose War and Peace.
In 1948, Prokofiev was attacked for producing “anti-democratic formalism”. Despite this, he received support from younger musicians. He wrote his Ninth Piano Sonata and Symphony-Concerto.
Prokofiev died on March 5, 1953. This was the same day as Joseph Stalin. He is buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery.
Today, Sergei Prokofiev is remembered as one of the 20th century’s major composers. His works are widely heard and celebrated. This plaque serves as a reminder of his time in Saint Petersburg. It connects him to the city’s rich cultural history. It marks where his genius flourished.