Lindberg and Prokofjev

When Prokofiev composed his Fifth Symphony in the summer of 1944, the war in Europe was still raging. He described it as a tribute to “the generosity, strength and spiritual purity of the free and happy man.” For Prokofiev personally, it was a time of great creativity – but perhaps he sensed what lay ahead for his homeland, the Soviet Union. The symphony’s playful, fast-paced movements are set in stark contrast to the slow third movement, steeped...