In the winter of 1940, Prokofiev sat down with the librettist Nikolai Volkov to sketch a new ballet. One year later, the first two acts of the renowned fairy tale Cinderella were finalized, based on the literary work by Charles Perrault. As in the case of Romeo and Juliet, Prokofiev published independent piano versions before the premiere of the main work, which in the case of Cinderella primarily served to utilize the pieces that had already been composed.

While the Three Pieces Op. 95 from ...

Three Pieces Opus 95 (1942):

• Pavane
• Gavotte
• Slow Waltz

Ten Pieces Opus 97 (1943):

• The Fairy of Spring
• The Fairy of Summer
• The Fairy of Autumn
• The Fairy of Winter
• Crickets and Dragonflies
• Oriental Dance
• Passepied
• Capriccio
• Bourrée
• Adagio