his income suffered. His Spanish-born
first wife, Lena, was sent to the Gulag,
a clear warning of what could happen if
he didn’t watch his step.
The terrible strain took its toll, and
Prokofiev’s health declined rapidly. By
1951 when he began composing his
seventh and last symphony, his heart
condition kept him in hospital much
of the time. Nevertheless, composing
was the only thing that made life worth
living, and Prokofiev continued his
work even in his hospital bed. In his last
public appearance on October 11, 1952,
he attended the Seventh Symphony’s
world premiere in Moscow. Less than
five months later, he was dead, leaving
behind a long list of works he wanted to
compose or revise.
In the words of Prokofiev biographer
Harlow Robinson, “The Seventh is an
old man’s symphony, beyond strife and
conflict.” The man who had enchanted
children with his Peter and the Wolf
originally thought this music would be
a smaller score created for young people.
Thus he emphasized what he called
“simplicity” and lyrical melody — an
approach calculated to keep him in the
good graces of the Soviet authorities as
well. There is a quality of gentle reminiscence throughout this music, especially
in the poignant third movement. And
there is almost nothing to be heard of
the biting sarcasm and brutal virtuosity
that characterized the music of the wild
young Prokofiev. Illness and adversity
had made him a tamed lion.
The Symphony’s first movement
opens with a wistful, lonely theme
winding high in the violins; Prokofiev
lingers over this melody for quite a
while, surrounding it with delicate,
tremulous instrumental colors. The
movement’s other major theme then
wells up from low strings and winds:
a more confident and deeply romantic
melody which will return late in the
Symphony. Notice also the whimsical
chiming music featuring high woodwinds and triangle that closes this opening exposition section; it too will play a
significant role in the work’s conclusion.
A subtle development of these ideas and
BE OUR COUNTRY HOUSE GUEST
When Winterthur founder Henry Francis du Pont invited the
public to tour his majestic home and garden in 1952, he established
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Plan your visit today! For more information, please call
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Winterthur is nestled in Delaware’s beautiful Brandywine Valley on
Route 52, between I-95 and Route 1. Take I-95 to Exit 7 in Delaware.
May– June 2015 |
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