Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100
by Sergei Prokofiev
Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony (1944) was written during a supremely fertile wartime period and premiered under the composer's own baton in January 1945, the guns of the advancing Red Army audible during rehearsals. Prokofiev himself described it as 'a symphony about the spirit of man'—not a war symphony per se but a celebration of human freedom and strength. The massive opening Andante, with its broad, hymn-like themes, is one of the most majestic essays in 20th-century symphonism, while the Scherzo's savage motorism represents the demonic energy of Prokofiev at his most brilliant. The slow movement achieves a lyrical depth rarely equaled in the composer's output, before the finale—initially buoyant—is shadowed by darker undertones that complicate its apparent triumph. The symphony quickly became one of the most performed of the 20th century, a status it has never relinquished.
Movements
Editions
Sikorski
Original publication, 1945
Original Soviet publication; the primary performing edition used in Russia and Eastern Europe for decades.
Boosey & Hawkes
Editorial committee, 1946
Western performing edition; the standard score used by most Western orchestras, faithful to the Soviet original.
Kalmus
Editorial committee
Reprint of the Boosey & Hawkes edition, widely distributed and commonly found in orchestral libraries in North America.