Prokofiev was a Glazunov student. Although the older composer disliked Prokofiev's aggressively modern music, he was generous enough to recognise the original genius of his pupil and awarded him the prestigious Rubinstein Prize in 1914. The young musical rebel went on to become one of the century's most popular and tuneful composers, his seven symphonies and five piano concertos assuring him of lasting greatness, while such works as "Peter and the Wolf", written for children, guarantee his enduring popularity with cvoncert audiences. Like "Peter", the "Summer Day" suite was originally meant for children and consists of arrangements of movements from a collection of childrens' piano pieces, dating from 1935. Orchestrating these fresh, happy, and melodious little works must have given Prokofiev a distraction in 1841, from the horrors of the Second World War, and, who knows? - may have helped his mental preparation for the mighty task of writing his magnificent Fifth Symphony,

R. G. Bratby, 1995


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