Serge Sergeievitch Prokofiev

Russian composer and pianist who retained his artistic integrity during the height of the Stanlist Soviet period. He genrally found favour with the regime but he did suffer a period of severe criticism and humiliation. He pipped Stalin at the post by dying on the same day, just a few hours before the dictator. He wrote in all major forms: opera-Love for three Oranges; seven symphonies, including his well-known Classical Symphony; concertos-among them five for piano and two for violin. His Peter and the Wolf for voice and orchestra has introduced several generations to the world of orchestration and characterisation.