I went to a 'Contemporaries' evening at which were performed works by Obukhov, who is said 'to surpass even Prokofiev'. The effect in the hall was reminiscent of the first performance in Russia of music by Schoenberg, given by myself five years previously, in June 1911, at one of the Evenings of Contemporary Music: people laughed loudly, left the hall clicking their heels as they went, and so forth. At the end of the concert I almost had my arm torn off by people asking: 'Well, what did you think of it?' My opinion was as follows: interesting harmonic invention, but thematically dull - routine even, fragmented and sterile. All this I can forgive, but the last-named is particularly dispiriting.