Archive of Scientific Articles

Submitted: January 12, 2026

Abstract. This publication continues the contextual overview of 20th-century Russian musical art. In this essay, the author examines the compositional output of Sergei Prokofiev during the 1930s. This period of Prokofiev’s creative work began with a transition toward “new simplicity” (the composer’s own term) and a more accessible, melodic musical language, exploring the central theme of this period: the confrontation between humane, constructive principles and the opposing forces of evil and violence (the ballet “Romeo and Juliet”, “Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of October”, and the opera “Semyon Kotko”). Concurrently, Prokofiev’s music retains a powerful charge of vitality. This optimism was embodied in large-scale ballets and operas (“Cinderella”, “The Duenna” (“Betrothal in a Monastery”)), as well as in canonic works for children (the piano album “Music for Children” and the symphonic fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”). Later, the theme of World War II took center stage in the composer’s output, manifesting in both large-scale historical epics and deeply personal, dramatic works. His late compositions were characterized by a particular clarity of style, a softened tone, and a direct continuity of classical traditions. Notwithstanding these shifts, the constants of his creative work remained a powerful optimism, vigorous energy, and an emphasized love of life. Prokofiev’s distinctive style emerged from an organic synthesis of bold 20th-century harmonic innovations and a rigorous structural clarity of form.

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