Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

[Danny]

Baby, child, sarcastic youth, perceptive Man, husband, lover, father, exile, prodigal son and one great composer to boot!  I'm talking about Sergei Prokofiev!!!!!  He gave us some of the most gorgeous and brilliant music of the 20th century.  Imo, he was the greatest composer from that century.

My Favorites at present:

Romeo and Juliet
Violin Sonata #2
Violin Sonata #1
VC #2
Symphony #5
Symphony #1
Symphony #3
Symphony #7
Symphony-Concerto
Piano Concerto #3
Piano Concerto #5
Piano Sonata # 2
Piano Sonata #6

[Harry]

There are almost never clear favourites amongst a composers oeuvre, with me, I see merit in almost every composition from Prokofiev.
And that is with all the composers I know, well almost!
His Ballet music, is played by me often, as his Symphonies.

[Danny]

There are almost never clear favourites amongst a composers oeuvre, with me, I see merit in almost every composition from Prokofiev.
And that is with all the composers I know, well almost!
His Ballet music, is played by me often, as his Symphonies.

Agreed; I love the entire catalogue, too, and ususally can find something to like or appreciate in the works of my favorite composers.  But for Sergei, there's a certain something about his music that draws me. 

[BachQ]

There are almost never clear favourites amongst a composers oeuvre, with me, I see merit in almost every composition from Prokofiev.
And that is with all the composers I know, well almost!
His Ballet music, is played by me often, as his Symphonies.

Several of Prokofiev's works easily rise to the top for me:

Piano Concerto no. 3
Symphony no. 5
Toccata in d minor
Romeo and Juliet
Piano Sonatas (esp. 2 in d minor; and nos. 6/7/8)
Symphony no. 1
Piano Concerto nos. 1/2/4
Alexander Nevsky
Violin Concerto no. 2
Violin Sonata no. 1
Love for 3 Oranges
Visions Fugitives
Lieutenant Kijé Suite, Op 60 

Interested in learning about:

War and Peace
Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra, Op 125 

[BachQ]

An excellent summary of available recordings of the 3rd piano concerto can be found HERE:

[bhodges]

Favorite Prokofiev works at the moment:

Scythian Suite - About as barbaric as music gets.
Piano Concerto No. 3 - My favorite recording right now is with Gary Graffman, George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, steely and precise.
Semyon Kotko - A very underrated opera.  I've only seen it once, with Gergiev and the Kirov when they brought it to Lincoln Center a few years ago, but it remains seared in my memory.
Symphony No. 3 - The centerpiece of my favorite CD (here in the "favorite CD covers" thread), this seems very underplayed.  I don't recall ever hearing it live.

Next season the Met is doing two Prokofiev operas, The Gambler and War and Peace.  I saw both when they premiered a few seasons back, and both are filled with terrific music, although The Gambler took a little more concentration.  Rather than long vocal lines, it uses smaller phrases, i.e., little gestures that only increase the sense of nervousness and agitation swirling around the title character.  But the orchestral parts have typical Prokofiev energy and color.

--Bruce

[Maciek]

My favorite Prokofiev concerto: Piano Concerto No. 2
My favorite Prokofiev symphony: Symphony No. 2

I think TWO pieces is enough?

But I do like all the rest too, of course (the ballets, the operas, the film scores, the chamber music etc. etc.).

Maciek

[Danny]

An excellent summary of available recordings of the 3rd piano concerto can be found HERE:

Hey, thanks, D Minor! 

[Danny]

Favorite Prokofiev works at the moment:

Scythian Suite - About as barbaric as music gets.
Piano Concerto No. 3 - My favorite recording right now is with Gary Graffman, George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra, steely and precise.
Semyon Kotko - A very underrated opera.  I've only seen it once, with Gergiev and the Kirov when they brought it to Lincoln Center a few years ago, but it remains seared in my memory.
Symphony No. 3 - The centerpiece of my favorite CD (here in the "favorite CD covers" thread), this seems very underplayed.  I don't recall ever hearing it live.

Next season the Met is doing two Prokofiev operas, The Gambler and War and Peace.  I saw both when they premiered a few seasons back, and both are filled with terrific music, although The Gambler took a little more concentration.  Rather than long vocal lines, it uses smaller phrases, i.e., little gestures that only increase the sense of nervousness and agitation swirling around the title character.  But the orchestral parts have typical Prokofiev energy and color.

--Bruce

Forgot about the Sythian Suite; need to give it a re-listen today.  Agreed that the PC #3 with Szell and Graffman is superb.  Symphony #3 is indeed magnificent, and I have noticed that it is underplayed.  Still need to check out War and Peace.

[not edward]

Symphony #3 is a great piece to hear live: the only time I've heard it live was when Bryden Thomson conducted the RSNO in it in Dundee a few days before his death, but it was a tremendous experience. The only symphony I prefer is #6.

My other absolute favourites are the 6th sonata and 1st violin sonata, but I am always happy to hear the very underrated Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, one of the most mindboggling pieces out there.

[The new erato]

I think the Piano Sonatas should be mentioned specifically, as I feel they are the last really great piano sonata cycle composed. Also I've listened to the complete Chout recently (Roshdestvensky/Melodiya) and found it a marvellous inventive and melodic work. I feel that very few, if any, 20th century composers composed so masterfully in so great a variety of genres as Prokofiev did.

[Siedler]

Symphony No. 3 - The centerpiece of my favorite CD (here in the "favorite CD covers" thread), this seems very underplayed.  I don't recall ever hearing it live.

Indeed a great symphony and I actually did hear it live last fall. I consider myself as lucky. The music of the 3rd symphony derives from The Fiery Angel opera, which I'm eager to hear as well.

[Danny]

I think the Piano Sonatas should be mentioned specifically, as I feel they are the last really great piano sonata cycle composed. Also I've listened to the complete Chout recently (Roshdestvensky/Melodiya) and found it a marvellous inventive and melodic work. I feel that very few, if any, 20th century composers composed so masterfully in so great a variety of genres as Prokofiev did.

The piano sonatas need more praise ,for sure, but I especially love the violin sonatas and think they aren't mentioned enough.

[Lady Chatterley]

Baby, child, sarcastic youth, perceptive Man, husband, lover, father, exile, prodigal son and one great composer to boot!  I'm talking about Sergei Prokofiev!!!!!  He gave us some of the most gorgeous and brilliant music of the 20th century.  Imo, he was the greatest composer from that century.

Danny,
A great composer,but a terrible driver.

[Harry]

Danny,
A great composer,but a terrible driver.

Really?
Well he had a license to compose, and that is sort of driving right?

[karlhenning]

Danny,
A great composer,but a terrible driver.

Lady, you drive straight to the heart of the matter! 

[val]

My favorites of Prokofiev:

Alexander Nevsky (Ancerl)

3rd piano Concerto (Argerich, Abbado)

Sept ils sont sept (Rojdestvensky)

Pas d'Acier (Makevitch)

5th Symphony (Szell)

The opera "The Fiery Angel" (in french with Jeanne Rhodes and Charles Bruck)

Romeo and Juliet (Maazel)

The 7th piano Sonata (Horowitz)

The 8th piano Sonata (Gilels)

The 6th Symphony (Mravinski)

The two violin Concertos  (Stern, Ormandy)

The First Symphony (Markevitch)

[karlhenning]

Some of my favorites which (perhaps) have not yet been mentioned:

Sinfonietta in A, Opus 5/48
Toccata, Opus 11
Five Poems of Anna Akhmatova, Opus 27
L'enfant prodigue, Opus 46
Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 125
Symphony No. 7 in C# Minor, Opus 131

Two pieces which Maciek mentioned, which deserve a repeat mention:

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Opus 16
Symphony No. 2, Opus 40

And one of Edward's mentioning:

Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Opus 74

[Lady Chatterley]

Lady, you drive straight to the heart of the matter! 

Sergi drove the narrow country roads of France like a maniac.One time rolling the car over while traveling with his wife and two young sons.He was hurt in the accident,his shoulder and right arm were so bruised he couldn't play for a while.

[karlhenning]

I remember.

I mean: I know.  I wasn't there, so I couldn't remember, not like that