Symphony No. 7 (Prokofiev)
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Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op.131, in 1952, the year before his death.
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[edit] Background
The symphony, containing expressive themes and fresh harmonies, was targeted at a younger audience.
The ending of the Vivace originally ends in a thoughtful mood, but later Prokofiev was prompted by other composers to add a triumphant coda as to end the symphony more vividly and conventionally. It is said that Prokofiev had wished this coda to be suppressed, so that the symphony ends as quietly as it had begun.
The premiere was well-received (Shostakovich had expressed much admiration for the work), and in 1957, four years after Prokofiev's death, the symphony was awarded the Lenin Prize.
[edit] Movements
The symphony is in four movements, lasting 30-35 minutes:
[edit] Instrumentation
- Piccolo
- 2 Flutes
- 2 Oboes
- Cor Anglais
- 2 Clarinets
- Bass Clarinet
- 2 Bassoons
- 3 Trumpets
- 4 French Horns
- 3 Trombones
- Tuba
- Timpani
- Percussion (Bass Drum, Triangle, Tambourine, Cymbals, Snare Drum, Wood blocks, Glockenspiel, Xylophone)
- Harp
- Piano
- Strings (1st and 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses)
[edit] Premiere
[edit] Recordings
The first recording was made by Eugene Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra for the CBS label in April 1953.
| Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cleveland Orchestra | Vladimir Ashkenazy | Decca | 1995 | CD |
| London Symphony Orchestra | Valery Gergiev | Philips | 2004 | CD |
| Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi | Chandos Records | 1986 | CD |
| Czech Philharmonic Orchestra | Zdenek Kosler | Supraphon | CD | |
| National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine | Theodore Kuchar | Naxos | CD | |
| Philharmonia Orchestra[1] | Nikolai Malko | EMI | 1955 | CD |
| National Orchestra of the O.R.T.F. | Jean Martinon | VoxBox | CD | |
| Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Seiji Ozawa | Deutsche Grammophon | 1989 | CD |
| Orchestre National de France | Mstislav Rostropovich | Erato | ? | CD |
| USSR Ministry of Culture State Symphony Orchestra | Gennadi Rozhdestvensky | CD/LP | ||
| London Symphony Orchestra | Walter Weller | Decca | ? | CD |
[edit] Notes
- ^ This recording was made directly after the UK Premiere, with Malko conducting
[edit] External links
| Symphonies by Sergei Prokofiev |
|---|
 Symphony No. 1 in D major Classical Symphony No. 2 in D minor Iron and Steel Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor |
