Progetto Martha Argerich

italiano

Works

Sergey Prokof'ev

Concerto No. 1 in D-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 10

 

Prolific and precocious composer that he was, Sergei Prokofiev tried his hand at the most demanding musical forms, even in his youth, and immediately made himself known for the spirited, unmistakable originality of his language. His debut in the field of the solo concerto was striking, to put the matter mildly: at the age of only twenty-three, and against all the rules, he won the Anton Rubinstein Competition of 1914 playing as soloist in the first of his piano concerti – the Concerto in D-flat Major, Op. 10, written in 1910-11. This concerto, which astonished its first listeners, is in reality Prokofiev’s first large-scale composition, but it already perfectly exemplifies its author’s style. It contains only one, substantial movement, within which, however, the three traditional movements (Allegro brioso, Andante assai and Allegro scherzando) are easily distinguishable; it requires great technical virtuosity of the pianist and displays an aggressive, angular musical language, full of humour but also capable of sincere lyrical abandon.

listen to Real Media recording

1. Allegro brioso
2. Andante assai
3. Allegro scherzando

Performers

Performance