Prokofiev, Sergei Sergeyevich, praw KAW fyehf, sehr GAY sehr GEH yuh vihch (1891-1953), was a major Russian composer. His first symphony, the Classical (1918), symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf (1936), and cantata Alexander Nevsky (1939) are among the most popular classical works of the 1900's. Prokofiev's music contains sharp humor, lyric melodies, and percussive use of instruments.