The Giant (opera)
Prokofiev's first opera, written at age nine for family performance.
The Giant (Russian: Великан, romanized: Velikan) is a three-act opera by Sergei Prokofiev. The work, which runs twelve pages, was created for a family performance when the composer was nine years old.
Prokofiev, who had already shown strong musical talent and composed piano pieces, first heard opera—including Alexander Borodin's *Prince Igor* and Charles Gounod's *Faust*—during a trip to Moscow with his parents at age eight. Eager to write his own opera, he drafted a libretto in three acts and six scenes. His mother helped transcribe the music he devised. The plot grew out of children’s games he played with friends Egorka and Stenya, whose names appear as characters. The following year, the first act premiered at an uncle’s estate near Kaluga. Prokofiev’s aunt Tatiyana played the Giant, while the composer and his cousins took the other leading roles. No record of further performances exists.
The opera is almost entirely lost, though musicologist Israel Nestyev quotes a few musical excerpts. In the story, a terrible Giant tries to kidnap a little girl named Ustinya. Her friends Sergeyev and Yegorov, with help from a good King, rescue her. However, according to Prokofiev’s mother, the opera originally ended with the Giant defeating the King. She noted that during a time of strict monarchy, this idea displeased the paternal authority, and the young composer, upset by the censorship, refused to write a reconciled ending. It is unclear whether this refers to an earlier version; scholarship has not resolved the point.
Prokofiev later recalled that, despite directing the rehearsal, he was so nervous onstage that he sang the wrong part. Still, the audience of six applauded, and his uncle remarked that when Prokofiev’s operas were performed on the Imperial stage, he should remember his first was staged in that house. A 1991 television documentary by Andrey Nekrasov, *The Prodigal Son*, includes a recreation of the premiere, but it is inaccurate: it shows Prokofiev at the piano, whereas his cousin Andrei actually accompanied.
- Composer
- Sergei Prokofiev
- Year composed
- 1899
- Acts
- 3
- Pages
- 12
- Language
- Russian
- Premiere location
- Estate of Prokofiev's uncle near Kaluga
- Status
- Nearly entirely lost
Lore & Background
In 1899, at the age of eight, Prokofiev, who had already evinced remarkable musical abilities and had composed some piano pieces, was taken by his parents to Moscow, where he heard opera for the first time, including Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor and Charles Gounod's Faust. Keen to write an opera of his own, he wrote out a libretto in three acts and six scenes. With the help of his mother, the music he devised for this was transcribed. The plot was elaborated from the children's games he played with his friends Egorka and Stenya, whose names are preserved in those of the characters.
In the following year, the first act of the opera was given a premiere by the family at the estate of one of Prokofiev's uncles near Kaluga, with his aunt Tatiyana taking the title part, and the composer and his cousins taking the other leading roles. There is no record of further performances. The opera is apparently nearly entirely lost, although Nestyev quotes some musical extracts.
A terrible Giant tries to kidnap the little girl Ustinya, who is rescued by her friends Sergeyev and Yegorov with the assistance of a good King. However, according to Prokofiev's mother, the opera ended with the defeat of the King by the Giant. She wrote, 'Now at the time of extremely strict monarchy, this idea was not approved of by the paternal authority, and the young composer, very much put out by this censorship, would not consent to write an ending involving a reconciliation.' Perhaps this refers to an earlier version, but scholarship has not advanced on this tricky point.
Reader's Guide
The Giant holds significance as Sergei Prokofiev's earliest known operatic work, composed at age nine and premiered by his family. It demonstrates the early development of a major 20th-century composer, showing his ambition to write opera after first hearing the form in Moscow. The work's near-total loss and the uncertainty about its ending—whether the King was defeated by the Giant, as Prokofiev's mother claimed—add to its historical intrigue. The premiere, attended by an audience of six, was recalled by Prokofiev as a nervous experience where he sang the wrong part, yet his uncle predicted future performances on the Imperial stage. A 1991 TV documentary attempted a recreation but inaccurately showed Prokofiev at the piano, whereas his cousin Andrei actually accompanied. The opera's legacy lies in its glimpse into the childhood creativity of a composer who would later produce celebrated works like Romeo and Juliet and Peter and the Wolf.
Did You Know?
- The opera is 12 pages long and was written for performance by the nine-year-old composer's family.
- The plot was elaborated from children's games Prokofiev played with his friends Egorka and Stenya.
- The first act premiere was held at the estate of one of Prokofiev's uncles near Kaluga, with an audience of six.
- A 1991 TV documentary recreation of the premiere is inaccurate because it shows Prokofiev at the piano, but his cousin Andrei actually accompanied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed The Giant (opera)?
The Giant (Velikan) is a three-act opera written by Sergei Prokofiev when he was just nine years old, in 1899. It was his very first foray into opera, composed after he had already been producing piano pieces and was inspired by hearing Borodin and Gounod during a Moscow trip.
What is the plot of The Giant (opera)?
The story grew out of children's games and is structured in three acts and six scenes. Prokofiev drafted the libretto himself, and his mother helped transcribe the music he devised for the family performance.
How long is The Giant (opera)?
The entire work spans only twelve pages of notation, making it a very short piece even by chamber-music standards. Its brevity reflects its origin as a family entertainment rather than a full theatrical production.
Where and when was The Giant (opera) first performed?
It premiered at the estate of Prokofiev's uncle near Kaluga, Russia, in 1899. The performance was a private family event rather than a public concert, which is consistent with its modest twelve-page length.
Why is The Giant (opera) important in Prokofiev's legacy?
It marks the earliest known operatic composition by a future major classical composer, showing that his interest in large-scale dramatic music began before he turned ten. Fans of Prokofiev often point to it as evidence that his operatic ambitions predated his later, well-known works by decades.
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