Tales of an Old Grandmother

1918 piano composition by Sergei Prokofiev

Tales of an Old Grandmother, Op. 31 (Russian: Сказки старой бабушки, romanized: Skazki staroy babushki) is a set of four piano pieces by Sergei Prokofiev. It was composed in 1918 and premiered by the composer himself on January 7 the following year in New York City, probably at Aeolian Hall.^[1]^[2] It has an approximate duration of ten minutes and it was first published by Gutheil in Moscow in 1922.^[3] It was composed during Prokofiev's exile in the United States after the outbreak of the Russian Revolution. An arrangement for orchestra also exists.

Background

Prokofiev's pianistic output of this period is scarce since he put all his efforts into composing his opera The Love for Three Oranges. He also composed, around that time, Four Pieces, Op. 32. Both were written in order to mitigate his economic situation because of the delay of the opera's premiere;^[4] however, he did not obtain the money in royalties he expected for them.^[5]

Description

The set of works describes an old grandmother narrating tales to her young grandson who listens carefully in her lap. It is full of nostalgia, with all the movements written in minor keys.^[6]

The work comprises four untitled movements:

Moderato (D minor)
Andantino (F-sharp minor)
Andante assai (E minor)
Sostenuto (B minor)

A performance lasts between eight and ten minutes.

References

^ Sergei Prokofiev – His Musical Life by Israel V. Nestyev, translated by Rose Prokofieva, introduction by Sergei Eisenstein, New York: Alfred A. Knopf (1946), p. 78
^ Serge Prokofiev Archive, circa 1899–2012, Series IV: Concert Programs 1918–2013, Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book & Manuscript Library
^ Shlifstein 1961, p. 307, cited in "Prokofiev's Tales of Old Grandmother, Op. 31: a performance and pedagogical guide", Doctor of Musical Arts dissertation by Wenjing Liu, University of Iowa, 2016. doi:10.17077/etd.7re3vla1
^ Prokofiev 1991, pp. 266–68.
^ Juan Sebastian Avendaño Fonseca. "Contextualización de la Sonata n. 2 op. 14 en Re menor de Sergei Prokofiev" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-05. Click the link to PDF to view the source.
^ "Prokofiev, S.: Childhood Manuscripts (Dossin)". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.

Sources

Prokofiev, Sergei (1991). Soviet Diary 1927 and Other Writings. London: Faber and Faber.
Shlifstein, S, ed. (1961). S. Prokofiev: Autobiography, Articles, Reminiscences. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House.

External links

Tales of an Old Grandmother: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Cummings, Robert. Tales of an Old Grandmother at AllMusic

Sergei Prokofiev

List of compositions

Operas

The Giant
Maddalena
The Gambler
The Love for Three Oranges
The Fiery Angel
Semyon Kotko
Betrothal in a Monastery
War and Peace
The Story of a Real Man

Ballets

Ala i Lolli
Chout
Trapèze
Le pas d'acier
Prodigal Son
On the Dnieper
Romeo and Juliet
Cinderella
The Tale of the Stone Flower

Symphonies

No. 1 in D major ("Classical")
No. 2 in D minor
No. 3 in C minor
No. 4 in C major
No. 5 in B♭ major
No. 6 in E♭ minor
No. 7 in C♯ minor

Concertos

Piano	No. 1 in D♭ major No. 2 in G minor No. 3 in C major No. 4 in B♭ major (left-hand) No. 5 in G major No. 6 (unfinished)
Other	Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor Cello Concerto in E minor Symphony-Concerto for Cello in E minor Cello Concertino in G minor (unfinished)

Orchestral works

Sinfonietta in A major (orig. & rev.)
Summer Night
Symphonic Song
Russian Overture
The Year 1941
Peter and the Wolf
Pushkin Waltzes
Waltz Suite

Film music

Alexander Nevsky
Ivan the Terrible
Lieutenant Kijé
The Queen of Spades

Vocal music

Alexander Nevsky
Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution
Flourish, Mighty Land
On Guard for Peace
Seven, They Are Seven
Songs of Our Days
Zdravitsa

Chamber music

Overture on Hebrew Themes
Quintet in G minor
Divertissement
String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet No. 2
Violin Sonata No. 1
Violin Sonata No. 2
Flute Sonata in D major
Cello Sonata in C major
Sonata for Two Violins in C major
Sonata for Solo Violin
Sonata for Solo Cello in C♯ minor

Piano music

Sonatas	No. 1 in F minor No. 2 in D minor No. 3 in A minor No. 4 in C minor No. 5 in C major (orig. & rev.) No. 6 in A major No. 7 in B♭ major No. 8 in B♭ major No. 9 in C major No. 10 (unfinished)
Other	Toccata in D minor Sarcasms Visions fugitives Tales of an Old Grandmother March and Scherzo from The Love for Three Oranges Three Pieces from War and Peace Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet Three Pieces & Six Pieces & Ten Pieces from Cinderella Fantasia on Scheherazade (1926)