1918 piano composition by Sergei Prokofiev Tales of an Old Grandmother, Op. 31 (Russian: Сказки старой бабушки, romanized: skazki staroĭ 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[edit] 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[edit] 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: 1. Moderato (D minor) 2. Andantino (F-sharp minor) 3. Andante assai (E minor) 4. Sostenuto (B minor) A performance lasts between eight and ten minutes. ## References[edit] 1. ^ 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 2. ^ Serge Prokofiev Archive, circa 1899–2012, Series IV: Concert Programs 1918–2013, Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book & Manuscript Library 3. ^ 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 4. ^ Prokofiev 1991, pp. 266–68. 5. ^ 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. 6. ^ "Prokofiev, S.: Childhood Manuscripts (Dossin)". www.naxos.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09. ## Sources[edit] * 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[edit] * Tales of an Old Grandmother: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project * Cummings, Robert. Tales of an Old Grandmother at AllMusic * v * t * e 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 (Montagues and Capulets) * 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 ("Stalingrad") * 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) Related articles| * Ballets Russes * Sergei Diaghilev * George Balanchine * Sviatoslav Richter * Mstislav Rostropovich * Nikolai Myaskovsky * Prokofiev (crater) * Lina Prokofiev * Lina and Serge: The Love and Wars of Lina Prokofiev * Mira Mendelson * Oleg Prokofiev * Category * Audio Authority control General| * VIAF * 1 * WorldCat (via VIAF) National libraries| * Spain * France (data) * Germany * Israel * United States * Australia * Poland *[v]: View this template *[t]: Discuss this template *[e]: Edit this template