Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which Fyodor Dostoyevsky story inspired Sergey Prokofiev’s opera The Gambler?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Portrait of composer Sergey Prokofiev, circa 1938, wearing round glasses, a suit, and a tie, looking slightly to the side. — Sergey Prokofiev Sergey Prokofiev.

Sergey Prokofiev’s opera The Gambler was inspired by the 1866 novella of the same name, Igrok (The Gambler), written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.21

Dostoyevsky wrote the original story under significant personal pressure, drawing upon his own experiences with compulsive gambling and his complex relationship with Appolinariya Suslova. Prokofiev composed his operatic adaptation between 1915 and 1916, skillfully blending narrative precision, satiric malice, and subtle lyricism to capture the psychological intensity of the source material.21