Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (1891–1953) is the great Russian composer, pianist and conductor.
The Sixth Symphony completed in 1947 is a monumental work inspired by the fateful events of the Great Patriotic War and full of reflections on past experiences. The composer gave an outline of the content of the Symphony in the laconic way so characteristic of him: “The first movement is of a restless nature, at times lyrical and at times stern; the second movement is more tranquil and songful; the finale, fast and buoyant, would resemble in nature my Fifth Symphony but for the stern echoes of the first movement”.
The Sixth Symphony was first performed on October 11, 1947 in Leningrad, by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by E. Mravinsky.