12 August 2010

Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 4, 2nd movement

I've got the first half of the A section, through measure 21, in my hands now. Here are the first two pages, the last measure of page 2 is measure 22 and the beginning of the A-section bridge:

prokofiev.sonata-4.ii.1.small.png prokofiev.sonata-4.ii.2.small.png

The chromatic theme is stated several times, beginning on different notes, and overlapping:

  • E in measures 2-7 in the right hand
  • B-flat in measures 5-9 in the left then right hand
  • E in measures 13-18 in the right hand
  • B-flat in measures 16-21 from left to right
  • E-flat in measures 19-21 in the left hand

This feels like A minor and then G minor in the last statement moving to the bridge. Measures 19-21 were the hairiest so far, but with the parts separated across the keyboard they were also the easiest to make audible sense of. Measures 13-15 (from the last two measures of page 1) are going to be more difficult to make sense of because those descending octave notes (played by the left hand) cut across the melody and accompaniment. At this point in my playing, the different parts in these measures are very muddled.

This evening, I focused primarily on 19-21:

prokofiev.sonata-4.ii.2.m19-21.png

[ posted by sstrader on 12 August 2010 at 11:21:29 PM in Music | tagged piano performance, prokofiev, prokofiev piano sonata no. 4 ]