Symphony No. 2 (Prokofiev)
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Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 2 in D minor (Op. 40) in 1924-5.
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[edit] Background
This overall structure of a quick, minor-key first movement followed by a set of variations which begins more calmly, was fashioned after Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32, his last. In other respects, however, the piece is decidedly twentieth century. The first movement in particular is rhythmically unrelenting, and the harmonies are extremely dissonant. The symphony has been nicknamed Iron and Steel.
After the premiere, Prokofiev commented that neither the audience nor himself understood the piece. Prokofiev planned to reconstruct the piece into three movements late in his life, going so far as to assign the project the opus number 136, but this plan never came to fruition. The symphony has ever since remained a somewhat obscure work, possibly the least-played of Prokofiev's seven symphonies.
[edit] Movements
The symphony is in 2 movements, lasting 35-40 minutes:
- Allegro ben articolato (12 minutes)
- Theme and Variations (25 minutes)
- Theme: Andante
- Variation 1: L'istesso tempo
- Variation 2: Allegro non troppo
- Variation 3: Allegro
- Variation 4: Larghetto
- Variation 5: Allegro con brio
- Variation 6: Allegro moderato
- Theme
[edit] Instrumentation
- Piccolo
- 2 Flutes
- 2 Oboes
- Cor Anglais
- 2 Clarinets
- Bass Clarinet
- 2 Bassoons
- Contrabassoon
- 3 Trumpets
- 4 French Horns
- 3 Trombones
- Tuba
- Timpani
- Percussion (Cymbals, Triangle, Castanets, Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tambourine)
- Piano
- Strings (1st and 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses)
[edit] Premiere
The piece was premiered in Paris on June 6, 1925, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, and was not well received.
[edit] Recordings
| Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi | Chandos Records | 1986 | CD |
| London Symphony Orchestra | Valery Gergiev | Philips | 2004 | CD |
| London Symphony Orchestra | Walter Weller | Decca | ? | CD |
| Orchestre National de France | Mstislav Rostropovich | Erato | ? | CD |
| National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine | Theodore Kuchar | Naxos | CD | |
| National Orchestra of the O.R.T.F. | Jean Martinon | VoxBox | CD | |
| Czech Philharmonic Orchestra | Zdenek Kosler | Supraphon | CD | |
| Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra | Seiji Ozawa | Deutsche Grammophon | 1990 | CD |
| USSR Ministry of Culture State Symphony Orchestra | Gennadi Rozhdestvensky | CD/LP |
[edit] External links
| Symphonies by Sergei Prokofiev |
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 Symphony No. 1 in D major Classical Symphony No. 2 in D minor Iron and Steel Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major |
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