The tragedy of Sergei Prokofiev

Sergei Sergeevich Prokofiev (1891-1953) was one of the great Russian composers. He died, at age 61, of a supposed intracerebral brain hemorrhage. During the 8 years before his death, he suffered from episodic headaches, nausea and dizziness. This article reviews the historical information about Prokofiev's illness leading to a plausible underlying etiology for his death.