Prokofiev Violin Concertos No. 1 & No. 2

Composed in an extraordinarily tumultuous time, Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto is a work with a long and complicated genesis and reception history. In 1915, Prokofiev completed his studies at the St Petersburg Conservatory, where he had gained a reputation as a highly original talent who enjoyed nothing more than giving a jolt to the established musical order. The First Piano Concerto, which he himself had performed with none other than Serge Koussevizky, had already delivered him the prestigious Rubinstein Prize, and it was not long before the European music world was abuzz with his name. In Paris, he met the famed impresario of the Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev, as well as his protegé, one Igor Stravinsky. And although Prokofiev and Stravinsky would never truly become friends, his Sacre left an indelible impression on the young composer.