Prokofiev

Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, 1st Movement

I recently heard this piece played at an event at my school entitled the Hubbard Chamber Ensemble from the Crowley Chamber Music Series. It was absolutely amazing. Of coure, there was not an orchestral accompaniement, rather a second piano, but none the less it was superb. In fact, it received a standing ovation, Just tonight, I was listening to some Beethoven and remembered the amazing Prokofieve concerto and ran to my friend Theresa, a fellow piano finatic, to show her this performance on YouTube. She laughed and recalled that her piano teacher, Andre Ponochevny, had just played it at SMU. We both watched the YouTube in utter amazement and revelled over the amazing music. The impressive part is is that the person I saw perform this piece at the Chamber Ensemble was a 17-year old boy, among the professionals performing it elsewhere. It was truly something.

The history of the piece is something else. Prokofiev was born in the Russian Empire in 1891 and died in 1953. He dealt with some hard times and a hard government and expressed much of his feelings through his music. This specific piece, dedicated to a dear friend who committed, is very loud, violent-sounding, and was seen as a mockery of music when Prokofiev first performed it in 1913.

It opens softly with the clarinet and strings and the piano quickly takes over. As it progresses, the piece becomes more and more violent sounding, but about half way through it there is a recapitulation of the beginning piano entrance. The violent progression continues, only this time much more violent and it concludes with yet another recapitulation of the beginning.

Through the softer beginning, it is as if Prokofiev is setting the scene of the Russian Empire. The chords sound sweet, but also almost manipulative. The softer part is contorted into a violent sound, symbolizing the horrible truth of the Russian Empire government. Prokofiev had to survive the cruelty of the dictators. The common misconception that the outside world had of Russia was that of a country striving for peace, where the citizens knew it as something else.

The first recapitulation is followed by an even more gruesome crescendo. A minute before this first movement ends the orchestra joins the piano for a clammering sound of doom. The once sweet clarinets chime in with a sadistic sound. And the piece is resolved with yet another recapitulation of the soft and peaceful beginning, the image of Russia only the outsiders see...