Transcript Introduction to Music 1010 By Russell Feala 31 March 2014 Sergei

SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Introduction to Music 1010
By Russell Feala
31 March 2014
• Born on the 23rd of April ,
1891 Sontzovka, Ukraine.
• Knew that around age 5
that he wanted to compose
music.
• Wrote his first piano
composition at age 9.
• At age 13 entered the
prestigious St. Petersburg
Conservatory.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
• Sergei studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory
• Instructed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
• Won the Anton Rubinstein award for his Concerto in D Flat
• Sergei flees his homeland in
1917 to avoid conscription
with the rise of the
February Revolution.
• Tours England as a concert
pianist.
• Introduced to Sergei
Diaghilev and Igor
Stravinsky.
• Frequently compared to
Sergei Rachmaninoff.
•
•
•
•
•
1923 Prokofiev marries Spanish singer Lina Llubera
Moved to Paris
Injures hand and unable to play piano
Moscow bound
Labelled as a critic of the government by Stalin
• Divorces wife for 25 year old
Mira Mendelssohn.
• Lina Llubera sentenced to
25 years in Gulag for
espionage.
• Soviets crackdown on artists
and intellectuals.
• Joseph Stalin’s death
overshadows that of
Prokofiev.
Prokofiev’s Most Well
Known Compositions
• Piano Concerto No. 1 in Dflat major, op. 10
• Scythian Suite, Op. 20, suite
for orchestra
• The Gambler, Op. 24, opera
in four acts
• The Love for Three Oranges,
Op. 33, opera in four acts,
includes the famous March
from the Love for Three
Oranges
• The Fiery Angel, Op. 37,
opera in five acts
• The Prodigal Son, Op. 46,
ballet in three scenes
Prokofiev’s Most Well
Known Compositions
• Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67, a
children's tale for narrator
and orchestra
• Alexander Nevsky, Op. 78,
cantata for mezzo-soprano,
chorus, and orchestra
• Cinderella, Op. 87, ballet in
three acts
• War and Peace, Op. 91,
opera in thirteen scenes
• Ivan the Terrible, Op. 116,
music for Eisenstein's
classic film of the same
name.
“PETER AND THE WOLF”
A Listening Guide
0:00 The story begins with rich textured melodies played by the in a
major and happy tone of a string quartet. It is fleeting and flighty. An
optimistic feel and strong timbre provoke the imagination as the
narration begins the story.
0:10- 2:20 An explanation of
instrumentation is assigned to
the characters of the story by
the narrator.
2:20 The bassoon opens the story with a slow melody which tromps
slowly and ununiformly.
2:32 The strings pop in with a
fast tempo, high pitched jaunt
to tell of the surprise as to
which Peter get the lesson
from his bellowing
grandfather.
3:00 Sasha and Peter dream of a big hunt, which is demonstrated by
the string quartets high pitch adventuring jaunt. Peter and Sash
tromp across the snow, pop-gun in hand.
4:10 Sonja the Duck is
introduced with the slow
witted meandering of the
Oboe. A texture is given with
interspersed high notes
contrasted with the low keys of
the instrument.
4:30 Strings are reintroduced
over top of the clarinet in an
excelled fashion to give the
idea that the duck, is followed
by a predator. The duck
realizes the coast is clear when
the music slows to an eventual
transition to the clarinet.
5:00 The clarinet again slowly
trudges and stalks as a cat
does. Then intertwines with
the oboe as to check each other
out. The tempo is hastened at
first, then slows to show
confidence in the other.
Eventually just the oboe is
heard in a dopey, slow toned,
trod in the snow.
5:45 The strings excite and
explode in a high pitched and
fast burst. The texture
becomes disjointed and lighthearted as the cat, bird and
duck chase and provoke each
other beneath a tree. Each
instrument takes its turn as
each character has a say. A
fast ominous melody explains
trouble is abound but
unnoticed
6:20 The oboe begins its dopey slow witted melody as Peter gets the group on task again.
Small leaps are made by the clarinet to tell us the group is coming together, followed by the
high pitched fast pace of the flute.
6:54 Fast strings and French horns slowly blowing creates a dark feeling as the wolf
approaches. The strength of the timbre builds as the wolf closes in on the duck.
7:27 Slowly the strings exit and the timbre is soft almost not noticed as it
build to a peak of strength. Sonja’s pace quickens as detailed by the oboe and
its tempo. The wolf gives chase.
• Sasha is angry and attacks
the wolf!
• The wolf turns for another
helping of the hunting Party
9:27 The French horns make a
slow ominous reentrance as
the group snag the predator.
The strings are even faster
now as they work to create the
struggle of the little boy
against the wolf.
9:43 Quick staccato
movements are made by the
strings in the struggle to give
the picture of the struggle. A
descending and spiraling
melody is made giving the
assumption that the group is
losing their handle on the wolf.
10:23 Texture is given when
the full complement is playing
in shortened quick notes as to
exemplify hastiness. Peter
send Sasha for help.
10:30 The horns Triumphantly
and assuredly make their
entrance. Slow staccato plucks
and stokes of the strings gives
a proud but uncertain canter
movement. This tells about the
pace at which the hunters a
walking.
10:52 The kettle drums rumble
to, when the hunters arrive on
the scene.
11:20 The string quartet is back to the medium paced march of the
boy Peter and the joy it represents as the hunters haul the wolf into
town to display. A triumphant texture now exists while all the
instrument play.
12:00 Sasha finds the Duck Sonja hiding in a tree as the oboe slowly
and consistently meanders in with the flutes high notes striking in
between.
12:32 The music comes to crescendo with a fast paced burst.
Cited References
Baker, Theodore. The Concise Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of
Musicians. 8th ed. Rev. Nicolas Slonimsky. New York: Schirmer,
1994.
Grout, Donald J. and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western
Music. 5th ed. New York: W.W. Norton &Company, 1996.
Redepenning, Dorothea: ‘Prokofiev, Sergey (Sergeyevich)’, Grove
Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 21 February 2014),
<http:www.grovemusic.com>
Schonberg, Harold. The Lives of the Great Composers. 3rd ed. New
York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
<http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/prokofiev.html>
Cited References
<http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sergey-prokofiev-mn0000596899>
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/0e43fe9d-c472-4b62-be9e55f971a023e1>
<http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/sergeiprokofiev.html>
<http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/sergei-prokofiev-351.php>
<http://www.classicalconnect.com/composer/Sergei_Prokofiev>
<http://www.musicacademyonline.com/composer/biographies.php?bid
=82>
<http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/twen/russian.html>