Sergei Prokofiev Essentials

A virtuoso pianist who wrote music for himself to perform (including five piano concertos), Prokofiev was also a major symphonist (Nos. 1 and 5 the most popular; 1947's No. 6 probably the greatest). He emigrated and lived in France for a while, but his return to the USSR was marked by increasing hardship and strained relationships with the authorities. His music sparkles at its most outgoing, but works like the violin sonatas could also reach deep into the soul. His ballets are central repertoire works, with Romeo and Juliet a masterpiece of storytelling in music from 1935.