Cinderella (reduced orchestration), Op. 87 (1944)

Composed between 1940 and 1944, Cinderella (Zolushka), Op. 87, is one of Sergei Prokofiev's most popular and melodious ballets. Written in the grand tradition of 19th-century Russian ballet as a tribute to Tchaikovsky, it is distinguished by its orchestral richness, biting humor, and an emotional depth that goes far beyond a simple fairy tale.

The composition was interrupted by the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, during which time Prokofiev set the score aside to focus on his monumental opera War and Peace. When he returned to Cinderella, he infused it with an atmosphere of nostalgia and magic, offering the public a necessary escape from the horrors of the war. The ballet premiered to immense success at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on November 21, 1945, starring the legendary Olga Lepeshinskaya (and later Galina Ulanova) in the title role.

Musically, Prokofiev utilizes classical dance structures (gavotte, mazurka, waltz) which he adopts with his signature modern harmonic touch: unexpected modulations and motoric rhythms. The work is famous for its contrasting themes: Cinderella’s fragile sweetness (carried by woodwinds and strings), the grotesque caricature of the two step-sisters (illustrated by dissonant melodic leaps), and the famous "Grand Ball" scene, where a sweeping waltz is abruptly interrupted by the haunting ticking of the clock, symbolized by a woodblock and dry percussion.