Sergei Prokofiev quotes

Sergei Prokofiev was a celebrated Russian composer, pianist, and conductor, known for his innovative and versatile music. Works like "Peter and the Wolf" and "Romeo and Juliet" have become staples of the classical repertoire. He left a lasting impact on 20th-century music through his originality and bold style. Here are 6 of his quotes:

My chief virtue (or if you like, defect) has been a tireless lifelong search for an original, individual musical idiom. I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.

Sergei Prokofiev

Formalism is music that people don't understand at first hearing.

Sergei Prokofiev

The time is past when music was written for a handful of aesthetes. Today vast crowds of people have come face to face with serious music and are waiting with eager impatience. Composers, take heed of this...But this does not mean that you must pander to this audience. Pandering always has an element of insincerity about it and nothing good ever came of that.

Sergei Prokofiev

This is my best work, but only because The Flaming Angel is my greatest.

Sergei Prokofiev

In my view, the composer, just as the poet, the sculptor or the painter, is in duty bound to serve Man, the people. He must beautify human life and defend it. He must be a citizen first and foremost, so that his art might consciously extol human life and lead man to a radiant future. Such is the immutable code of art as I see it.

Sergei Prokofiev