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Serge Prokofiev Archive

PROKOFIEV, Oleg (1928-1998)


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 2217 OP

Held at: Serge Prokofiev Archive

Title: PROKOFIEV, Oleg (1928-1998)

Date(s): [1920-1996]

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 4 large boxes

Name of creator(s): Prokofiev | Oleg | 1928-1998 | artist and poet

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born in Paris in 1928, the second son of Serge and Lina Prokofiev, Oleg Prokofiev studied art at the Moscow School of Art from 1944 to 1947. After a first, unsuccessful marriage, Oleg met and married a young British art historian, Camilla Gray, who died tragically after a short illness. Allowed by the Soviet authorities to bring their daughter Anastasia to England, Oleg settled first in Leeds, where he was awarded a fellowship in the Fine Arts Department, and where he met his third wife Frances. Oleg made his name as an artist, exhibiting his wood sculptures and paintings in a number of countries, and his style was constantly evolving as a response to the new shapes and lights he discovered in journeys to America, Africa and India. Some of his poems were also published. He also dedicated a large part of his life to the promotion of his father's life and work, appearing on television and radio and maintaining a huge correspondence with artists, musicologists and performers involved in working on Prokofiev and Soviet music. He died in 1998.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Oleg Prokofiev, including material relating to the life and work of his father, Serge Prokofiev, notably copies of letters from Serge Prokofiev to various correspondents, 1920-1945, including Fatima Samoilenko, 1920-1936; extracts from articles and letters of Prokofiev; material relating to Prokofiev's Diary, comprising photocopies of the text, transcripts and a typescript article relating to it; copies of music manuscripts (scores) of Prokofiev; photographs of Prokofiev and his family; pamphlets, press cuttings and articles relating to Prokofiev's life and work, and to performances of his music, [1946-1996]; texts of interviews given by Oleg on his father's life and work, [1989-1991], and articles written by him about Prokofiev, [1993]; various published scores of Prokofiev's music, including Peter and the Wolf and the Fiery Angel; and published works relating to Russian culture and Prokofiev. Further material concerning performances of Serge Prokofiev's work include articles and scores of Vladimir Blok relating to Prokofiev, [1990-1995], as well as a tape of an interview at a concert at the Hungary Centre, Moscow, 1995; and correspondence with and cuttings from articles on Frederic Chiu, 1992-1996, relating to his recordings of Prokofiev's music. Personal papers of Oleg comprise material relating to his own literary work; photocopies of stories written by Prokofiev in 1917-1918, with Oleg's translation into English; a draft of an article on Shostakovich; a manuscript notebook entitled 'My father, his music and me'; and a draft by Oleg of a biography of Robert Falk (1886-1958). There is also family correspondence.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: Russian, English

System of arrangement:

Unsorted.

Conditions governing access:

By appointment only. Some private correspondence is closed to the public. Please contact the Curator for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

At the discretion of the Curator.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Unlisted.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Given by Frances Prokofiev in various accessions from 1999 onwards.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

The Serge Prokofiev Archive also holds the papers of Serge and Lina Prokofiev and Christopher Palmer.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. Biographical information provided by Noëlle Mann, Curator of the Serge Prokofiev Archive.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Feb 2002


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Biographies | Prose | Literary forms and genres | Literature
Classical music | Musical styles
Musical performances | Music | Performing arts
Orchestras | Music | Performing arts
Musical performers

Personal names
Chiu | Frederic | b 1964 | American pianist
Falk | Robert | 1886-1958 | artist
Prokofiev | Oleg | 1928-1998 | artist and poet
Prokofiev | Serge Sergeevich | 1891-1953 | composer

Corporate names

Places
Russia | Eastern Europe
Crimea x Krym