Summary:
Reviews the life of Sergei Prokofiev.
Sergei Prokofiev was a Russian composer who was particularly talented. He began composing at the age of five, and while still in his teens, he had written four operas, two symphonies, and a stack of piano music. He died March 5, 1953 on the same day that, U.S.S.R. Dictator, Joseph Stalin died.
In this ensemble there was a total of nine pieces. The first one "Sarcasm"was a short piece by a solo pianist. It was played in minor chords, with a very fast pace. The performer looked as though he was really focused. He swayed back and forth with a lot of energy and seemed like he enjoyed playing this piece. This piece had a nice classical taste and I thought it was a good performance.
The next piece "The Pillars" was an opera with a piano accompaniment. The piano started it off, playing in dissonant chords. Then the soprano singer, started singing with the piano accompanying her. This piece had a dark, gloomy, evil tone to it. The singer was very serious with a face of despair. There was no set rhythm. It had a mixed tempo, with fast and slow parts. I thought this was a very good nineteenth century style performance.
The third piece "Melody" was a concerto for violin with piano as the accompaniment. Both the piano and the violin played in minor. It sounded romantic, like someone falling in love. The many different tones on the piano made it more interesting and unique. I thought this piece was very good and enjoyed it very much.
The fourth piece "Mercutio" was played by a solo pianist. It was played very fast and smoothly. It had a mixture of major and minor chords. The performer seemed as if he was flowing with the music. This piece had a romantic mood and I enjoyed it.
The next piece "Natasha's Arioso" was another opera with piano as the accompaniment. The soprano singer sang very well. I was amazed that she, being of an Asian culture, could sing so elegantly in Russian. It was a very relaxing piece with a romantic mood. The piano also played very well in minor chords. This piece was very good. I think it could have been longer, but it was good the way it was.
The sixth piece "The Monk" another opera with piano as the accompaniment. This piece unlike the other operas was very fast and energetic. A man trying to hold back his feelings by covering them up, but at the end he can't take it any more and just lets his feelings all out. I thought this piece was good, but the ending was too abrupt. I thought the ending could have been better.
The seventh piece "Andante" sonata No. 2 for violin and piano in D major, Op 94 bis. This was a nice slow and very relaxing piece. It had a happy mood. I enjoyed this piece.
The next piece "Precipitato" sonata No.7 in B Flat Major, Op 83 was played by the same solo pianist as "Mercutio." It had a fast tempo and a crazy, aggressive type mood. The performer looked straight down on the keys and was very serious and energetic. This was a very good piece.
The last piece "Overture on Hebrew Themes in C minor, Op 34" was a small orchestra containing a string quartet, clarinet, and piano. This piece was a type of chamber music. All the instruments played their own parts. It had a good mixture of dynamics, which was good. The tone was at times relaxing and then sometimes a little dark. All the performers looked like they enjoyed playing this piece. As far as I could tell there were no mistakes. I thought this piece was very good.
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