Regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century, Prokofiev was both an innovator who delighted in controversy and a traditionalist seeking out purer melodies and classical forms. His masterpieces across numerous music genres include such widely heard pieces as the exhilarating Romeo and Juliet (ballet), the irresistible Peter and the Wolf (children's tale), the epic Alexander Nevsky (Eisenstein's eponymous film score), and his thrilling third Piano Concerto (now a staple piece of repertoire performed on stages around the world), among so many others. A rich anthology of landmark interpretations, showcasing Prokofiev as a pianist, this edition vividly illustrates the goal he set himself as a composer: to “extol human life and lead mankind to a radiant future”.

Featured artists:

Mstislav Rostropovich, André Previn, Martha Argerich, Itzhak Perlman, Nikolai Lugansky, Nicholas Angelich, Samson François, Michel Beroff, Andrei Gavrilov, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Sergei Prokofiev, Beatrice Rana, Sviatoslav Richter, György Sebők, Alexis Weissenberg, Vadim Repin, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Gautier Capuçon, Han-na Chang, Steven Isserlis, Truls Mørk, János Starker, Emmanuel Pahud, Michel Portal, Borodin Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Berliner Solisten, Armin Jordan, Herbert von Karajan, Igor Markevitch, Riccardo Muti, Kent Nagano, Sir Simon Rattle, Constantin Silvestri, Galina Vishnevskaya, Catherine Dubosc, Stefania Toczyska, Gabriel Bacquier, Nicolai Gedda, Nicola Ghiuselev, Lajos Miller, Wiesław Ochman, Dimiter Petkov, Jean-Luc Viala, Romy Schneider, Peter Ustinov, Miguel Bosé, Bart Peeters, Claude Piéplu, Kyu Sakamoto