Quotes by Sergei Prokofiev

I played rather well - in any case, jauntily. My success was rather great and, I should say, no doubt unexpected.

I want nothing better, more flexible or more complete than the sonata form, which contains everything necessary for my structural purposes.

My mother had to explain that one couldn't compose a Liszt rhapsody because it was a piece of music that Liszt himself had composed.

Of course I have used dissonance in my time, but there has been too much dissonance. Bach used dissonance as good salt for his music. Others applied pepper, seasoned the dishes more and more highly, till all healthy appetites were sick and until the music was nothing but pepper.

When the Second World War broke out, I felt that everyone must do his share, and began composing songs and marches for the front. But soon events assumed such gigantic and far-reaching scope as to demand larger canvasses.