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Sergei Prokofiev was born on the 23rd of April 89, in Sontsovka, which was a part of the Russian Empire and is known today as eastern Ukraine. He was the only surviving child of his father Sergei Alexeyevich Prokofiev and his mother Maria/Grigoryevna Zhitkova. Prokofievs mother was an established pianist and she taught him piano from the age of three, quickly gained skills to compose his first piece at age five. In 904, the 3-year-old Prokofiev and his mother were introduced to the composer Glazunov, a professor at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Glazunov was so impressed with Prokofievs talent that he urged him to apply to study there. Prokofiev was much younger than the other students and was perceived as annoying to them, as he kept a list of their mistakes. Though the teachers valued him as a student and were very impressed with his innovative skills. Prior to his time at the conservatory, Prokofiev had already completed four operas, two sonatas, a symphony, and over a dozen piano pieces. After graduating from the conservatory, Prokofiev met Sergei Diaghilev and was commissioned to write music for the Ballet Russes in Paris. Three of his best-known works that he composed for the company are Chout, Le Pas dacier, and LEnfant Prodigue. These works reveal his shift in style, from aggressive modernism to simpler lyricism. Diaghilev infl

uenced this shift in style over Prokofiev, believing his original pieces for the ballets followed the action too closely with too many details, and needed to develop themes similar to Tchaikovskys style of symphonic ballet music. By 929, Stalin was issuing the idea of socialist realism music for the people by the people. International art wasnt tolerated in the Soviet Union, instead, the government paid musicians for their every note in order to promote the idea of common music. This angered Prokofiev, as he became more focused on politics instead of his music. So, he left for America in hopes of creating honor to his name but was instantly shut down as the Americans preferred composers like Bach and Beethoven, whose style was more traditional than experimental. Remaining loyal to his country, Prokofiev moved back to Russia and by the 930s he was becoming recognized by Soviet authorities. In 934, he composed his most famous music for the ballet Romeo and Juliet, performed in 938. It is this piece that gave Prokofiev the compositional acknowledgment that he craved. Prokofiev died at the age of 6 on the 5th of March 953, the same day as Stalin’s death. For three days everyone mourned for Stalin and Prokofiev’s death wasnt allowed to be announced until after those days. Though when it was, not only Russia but all of Europe mourned for him.