Sir Straight Prokofiev

Case: The defendant is accused of inexpressive music

Defendant: Sergei Prokofiev

Prosecutor: sap-drentched romantics

Grand Jury's result: bullshit


I recall a couple incidents during my time at conservatory of some undergrad pianists judging how Prokofiev's music is very cold and says nothing; his melodies are jagged and moves around a lot, yet says nothing from the heart.

Seriously......wtf.

Is the Romantic period still permeating with its mawkish perfume? Do people honestly desire long-arched melodies that last for 50 measures simply to know that Brahms was desperate for Clara? I am not against post-romantics or outdated romantics, but just because you are religiously Romantic does not mean you can push your beliefs on other people, saying that you are right. Unless you believe in the Bible, lol.

But come on, have you heard Visions Fugitives? It opens with this beautiful melody that is perfectly shaped. The chords underneath carries it so well to with its 7th chords. Or in his Piano Concertos. THEY HAVE DAMN GOOD MELODIES that no stoic would be able to write, if in fact he is the emotionally impotent that he is accused of being. Better than some of the composers that write "beautiful" music when all it is are treacle chords saturated with saccharine accompanying an arpeggio.

Now this may be a small minority of musicians and musicologists (yes i separated them) that believe in this. And we know that the human cognition tends to see the negative out-weighing the positive. So we hear one negative thing and it spreads unpleasantly like strep throat at an opera company. How many composers can you say has a distinct voice while still having such solid structure, strong harmonic background and can actually write a melody that makes sense and is complete in itself?

I think people are mistaken between their own personal preference and what is good. If I were to say I hate Bach's music, would that mean that he's any less of a composer? Or if an entire country were to think so? Nein! Or just because you don't like George W. Bush, doesn't mean he sucks...............oh wait! lol

So if you don't like Prokofiev's music, fair enough. But to say that his music is cold!? You people are the same ones that would say Rachmaninoff's music sooooo blah blah gorgeous blaaah blah sappy blah brahms blah blah, and he was probably one of the coldest people ever. At least Prokofiev had a family, and his grandson, Gabriel Prokofiev, is making it as a very progressive composer now. Where are you, Rachy!? ANyways, I'm going off now. I'm outy.