Prokofiev S. Ten Pieces from the ballet “Cinderella”

Ten Pieces from the ballet “Cinderella”, op. 97 (1943) are its score's excerpts arranged for piano by the author himself for concert execution. 

The ballet “Cinderella” op. 87 was composed by Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) in 1940–1944 to the libretto by N. D. Volkov. The ballet was conceived already to 1940, the time of Prokofiev's acquaintance with Galina Ulanova and Ye. Radin, the director of the Leningrad Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre. The composer was attracted not only by the Prince's and Cinderella's love, but also by numerous fantastic personages and miraculous circumstances. Prokifiev also valued the situations evoking imaginative dancing scenes. «I composed “Cinderella” according to the classical ballet traditions. Here you are the pas de deux, adagio, gavotte, several waltzes, pavane, passe-pied, bourree, mazurka, galop. Each character has its variation» — Prokofiev wrote. 

The work at “Cinderella” was interrupted by the Great Patriotic War, inclining Prokofiev to conceive the opera “War and Peace”. However, the composer returned to the “Cinderella” and completed the score. It was after the “War and Peace's” first version had appeared. 

The “Cinderella's” premiere took place in Moscow on the Bolshoy Theatre stage on November 21 and 24, 1945. However, the composer made numerous arrangements of the ballet excerpts some time before its premiere. They were intended for concerts. Beside the Ten Pieces op. 97 published here, there were the Three Pieces op. 95 (1942) and Six Pieces op. 102 (1944), so as the Adagio “Cinderella and Prince” op. 97-bis (12944) arranged for cello and piano. 

Subsequently Prokofiev formed three symphonic suites op. 107, 108, 109 (1946) on the base of the “Cinderella”.