Our Prokofiev concerts in Berlin 2025

Alongside Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich and Scriabin, Sergei Prokofiev is one of the most important Russian composers of the 20th century. Daring harmonies, dissonance, piercing rhythms and harsh lyricism combine in Prokofiev's work to create a language all of its own, which is expressed magnificently in the Prokofiev concerts of the ROC ensembles in Berlin.

The next Prokofiev concerts of the ROC ensembles in Berlin can be found here from mid-July with the publication of the new season.

Prokofiev concerts by the ROC in Berlin

Like so many of his Russian colleagues, Sergei Prokofiev's life was characterized by a great deal of movement; a movement that - unlike Rachmaninov, for example - led him back to Moscow, where he eventually died on the same day as Stalin. His Moscow period in particular is characterized by extraordinary musical productivity.

Prokofiev's oeuvre is extremely varied; it consists of stage works, orchestral works, piano works, chamber music and vocal works. His most famous work, the musical fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”, is one of the most frequently performed works of classical music in the world. But also his ballet Romeo and Juliet – which brings Shakespeare’s tragedy to the stage without a single word, using only movement and music (and what groundbreaking music!) – is one of the most frequently performed ballets of the 20th century.

Prokofiev’s Piano Concertos – energetic, demanding, and sharp-edged

Prokofiev was a brilliant pianist, and his formidable virtuosity is evident in the five piano concertos he composed.

His First Piano Concerto, written in 1911–12, already showcases his unique character: cheeky, virtuosic, and self-assured. The work consists of a single, continuous movement, which Prokofiev himself performed at its premiere.

The Second Piano Concerto is a highly complex, powerfully virtuosic tour de force, almost a psychological drama. Especially notorious is the first movement, featuring an almost six-minute-long solo cadenza monster, which has helped give this piece its reputation among many pianists as the “concerto of all concertos.”

The Third Piano Concerto is the most popular of the five – extremely lively and nearly catchy, though never lacking in substance.

The Fourth Piano Concerto, composed for Paul Wittgenstein, who had lost his right arm in the war, is written for the left hand alone. As a result, it leans more toward chamber music than grand concerto form, but it remains an intellectual challenge – musically reserved, yet a refined technical and compositional experiment.

Prokofiev’s Fifth Piano Concerto is less of an audience favorite, but it's a light, playful work with a touch of the whimsical. With its five short movements, it offers remarkable variety and surprising charm.

According to his own statements, four lines run through Prokofiev's oeuvre: a classical, a modern, a motoric and a lyrical line. This extremely heterogeneous mixture creates a tremendous field of tension, which can be clearly felt in the Prokofiev concerts of our ROC ensembles in Berlin. Treat yourself to an evening full of musical excitement with a Prokofiev concert in Berlin!