23rd Annual Student Research Conference
Prokofiev's Diabolical Sugestion:
The Enfant Terrible at Play
Kelsey A. Kline
Dr. David McKamie, Faculty Mentor
A brash young artist burst onto the musical scene in Russia during the first decade of the twentieth century. Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), the enfant terrible of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, clashed openly with his conservative music professors. An examination of Prokofiev's unique experiences during his childhood and conservatory years gives insight into his early compositional decisions. As a child, Prokofiev received his initial musical education from his mother, whose primary goal was to sustain his interest in music. Her desire was to encourage his creative impulse and to make the compositional process pleasurable for him. Reinhold Gliére, Prokofiev's next music teacher, alternated disciplined study with opportunities for playful, free expression. This delight in playfulness is present in Prokofievs unique treatment of the principal motive in his youthful composition, Diabolical Suggestion (1908). The playful energy and remarkable originality of Prokofievs nascent style took him to the forefront of modern Russian music.
Keywords: Prokofiev, Diabolical Suggestion, Russia, World of Art
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Performance Art
Session: 23-2
Location: OP Performance Hall
Time: 9:45