Piano Sonata No. 8 (Prokofiev)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prokofiev at the piano

Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major, Op. 84 (1944) is a sonata for solo piano, the third and longest of the Three War Sonatas, with performances typically lasting around 30 minutes. It is, at the same time, the gentlest and most tortured of the War Sonatas. The sonata was first performed on 30 December 1944, in Moscow, by Emil Gilels.[1]

Movements[]

The sonata has three movements.

  1. Andante dolce — Allegro moderato (in B♭ major)
  2. Andante sognando (in D♭ major)
  3. Vivace (in B♭ major)

I. Andante dolce — Allegro moderato[]

The movement begins with a lyrical, mysterious theme that wanders in a sense of melancholy and suppressed suffering. The key is B♭ major, but the sense of tonality is weak due to Prokofiev's frequent modulations to remote keys. Next is a more brooding theme in G minor that goes through a series of modulations that convey feelings of desolation as the music prepares for the development section. The fast-paced, uneasy development section, reminiscent of the first movement of the Piano Sonata No.7, defies convention: rather than working toward greater complexity, the music develops backward, reducing its expressive character to its rudimentary and most violent aspects. The development section is tonally unstable and perpetuated by motoric rhythms. A clangorous, mournful theme emerges with more feelings of desolation. The desolation segues into a melancholy reprise of the first theme, followed by a virtuosic truncated reprise of the development section, this time in B-flat minor. The movement ends bittersweetly, in B♭ major.

II. Andante sognando[]

For the second movement, Prokofiev uses a charming, bright theme from his abandoned orchestral score Eugene Onegin. This brief, playful minuet provides deft contrast to the more serious outer panels.

III. Vivace[]

The movement begins with a driving theme in several arpeggios, introducing one of the main themes, in B♭ major. Tonality is weak, as the very next theme is in A minor. After a brief return to B♭ major, it then introduces another theme in the key of B major. Then another theme enters, this one in C major. After the initial excited section, the piece enters into a waltz-like portion that is in D♭ major. This section is full of witty dissonances. The piece finally quiets down, entering into a much quieter, more mysterious section, still in D♭ major, but also alternating with C-sharp minor in tonality. Throughout this section, the left hand includes references to the waltz-like section. Then after this section, the A minor theme returns, building into the return of the opening theme. The final section combines nearly all of the elements that have come before. Tonality is still weak. The C major theme enters, transposed to B♭ major. Then the A minor theme returns, also transposed to B♭ major. There is a new theme, building up to a grand (albeit ambivalent) finale in B♭ major.

References[]

  1. ^ Sorensen, Sugi (2005). "The Prokofiev Page - Piano Sonata No 8 in B♭ m, Op 84". Allegro Media. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""