Prokofiev

The outstanding Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) worked in a wide range of genres. He composed eight operas, including The Gambler (1916), based on Dostoevsky's work of the same title, and War and Peace (1942-1952), based on Tolstoy's epic work. Prokofiev wrote his own librettos, and the one for War and Peace was written by him and his second wife, Mira Mendelson.