Prokofiev and the Russian Avant-Garde: Freedom and Irony

The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, a state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago at 11 E. Adams St., presents the complex world of Russian composer and pianist Sergei Prokofiev through the lens of his nine piano sonatas, the first time the complete cycle is performed in Chicago in a decade. From biting modernism to wartime introspection, this three-part series traces a musical and cultural evolution, exploring the rarely discussed Russian Avant-Garde of the early twentieth century. Each concert unfolds the complexity of the Russian Avant-Garde movement, exploring the poetry, theater, and visual art that inspired and influenced Prokofiev and his collaborators. Pianist Adam Neiman takes on all nine of Prokofiev’s piano sonatas, providing a comprehensive encounter with the works’ bold rhythms and lyrical intensity. Well-known to Guarneri Hall audiences, Neiman’s incredible artistry and his history with Guarneri Hall make him the perfect choice for this project: an almost unheard-of opportunity to hear all nine Prokofiev Sonatas in close proximity to one of the most illuminating pianists before the public today. Adding to the intimacy, each musical evening includes a post-concert reception where audience members and performers can interact over quality libations and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets can be purchased now at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $50 and student discounts available. The three concerts, titled Love and War, Freedom and Irony, and Echo and Image, trace Prokofiev’s early infatuation with Russian traditions, the years surrounding the Russian Revolution, and his time touring internationally before returning to the Soviet Union. Wrestling with the demands of his time, Prokofiev crafted a repertoire that is at once fiercely individual and deeply marked by the socio-political currents that shaped his life. Host Tanya Landau, PhD candidate in the Department of Musicology at Northwestern University, will be joined by distinguished educators from Northwestern University for opening remarks that explore the Russian poetry, theater, and visual art that inspired and influenced Prokofiev and his collaborators. Freedom and Irony reflects on the years surrounding the Russian Revolution. As Prokofiev prepared to leave Russia in 1918, the visionary theater director Vsevolod Meyerhold (1874-1940) gave him a copy of his journal “The Love for Three Oranges,” based on Carlo Gozzi’s fantastical play. Prokofiev read it en route to the United States, drawn to its blend of satire, absurdity, and fairy tale. This moment captures the tension between departure and connection. As Prokofiev left his country in turmoil, he carried with him artistic ties that would continue to shape his compositional style. A sense of displacement and evolving identity echo across the evening’s programming. Known as the sonata “From Old Notebooks,” the youthful volatility of Piano Sonata No. 3 is contrasted with the introspective, shadowed character of Piano Sonata No. 4, reflecting a composer grappling with memory, loss, and reinvention during exile. Decades later, the explosive intensity of Piano Sonata No. 7 was forged under the pressures of Stalinist Russia and received the Stalin Prize. The event features opening remarks from Dassia N. Posner, Associate Professor of Theatre and Slavic Languages and Literatures at Northwestern University, who will contextualize Prokofiev’s collaborations with Meyerhold and Alexander Tairov (1885-1950) at the Moscow Kamerny Theatre.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3799889-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3799889-2

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