18 TRANSCRIPTIONS & PARAPHRASES Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 1 or ‘Classical Symphony’, composed immediately before the 1917 Revolution, is a work of infectious vivacity and insouciance, imbued with the neo-classicism that had already stimulated Tchaikovsky more than once (Variations on a Rococo Theme, The Queen of Spades) and was soon to inspire Stravinsky (Pulcinella). It is not impossible that Prokofiev was, in his heart of hearts, delighted by the potential of future controversy: ‘When our classically inclined musicians and professors (to my mind fauxclassical) hear this symphony, they will be bound to scream in protest at this new example of Prokofiev's insolence, look how he will not let Mozart lie quiet in his grave but must come prodding at him with his grubby hands, contaminating the pure classical pearls with horrible Prokofievish dissonances. But my true friends will see that the style of my symphony is precisely Mozartian classicism and will value it accordingly, while the public will no doubt just be content to hear happy and uncomplicated music which it will, of course, applaud.’
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