Prokofiev Sonata no. 5 op. 38 (original version)

Here's my recording of the Prokofiev 5th Sonata (original version, before it got all watered down).
It's from my Doctor of Arts recital earlier this week at Ball State University. Other than a few minor slips, I'd say it was a good performance (and incredible recording quality---those guys know what they're doing)

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy one of the lesser-known sonatas!

 

Richard,
I followed along with the revised version (I'd say about 80%+ is retained). I think you have done a great job! You capture and portray the characteristc Prokofiev style very well. This must have been a b**** to memorize! Thanks for exposing me to this lesser known sonata of Prokofiev (especially in it's orginal version). Why did he revise it? It seems just fine the way it was. I hope you'll be posting more from the recital later. :wink:

Regards,
Eddy

 

Eddy,
If I remember from what I read correctly, I think he revised it because of its reception. It was the only sonata written while not in Russia (he was in Paris), and according to the composer (and I can vouch for him), it's the most chromatic of his sonatas. People didn't care for it too much because of the "strange" (awesome) progressions and chromaticism, and so I think that was the reason. I'm pretty sure he paired it with the 6th sonata to help its popularity, but I may be mistaken.

In terms of memory, it wasn't too terrible to memorize---the problem was learning how to play and make sense of everything. Initially, I had problems performing the 1st movement without having memory lapses, but that was taken care through blind practice and playing every other measure while taking hands off the keys inbetween (from memory, of course).

Anyway, I feel as though I'm rambling. Thanks for the kind words---I'll get some Scarlatti up here soon.
Richard

 

Interesting memory device. Of course just like others that I listed elsewhere, these are really tests of learning. As long as you can't do it, then you don't know it well enough and you keep at it. (I shake my head with incredulity when I think that I once memorized and played the Bartok Out of Doors suite for a recital.) I'll press you on one historical point: my penciled notes on the table of contents indicate that sonatas nos 3-5 were all "written abroad," not just No. 5. Do you have info otherwise?

 

Richard, can you please re-upload with correct file names and ID3 tags, as described in this sticky topic:
http://pianosociety.com/new/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5115&p=51530
Also, if you can please increase the compression rate to 192Kbs. These are 320Kbs causing the files to be far bigger than they should be.
Same request for your Scarlatti, I guess.

 

Sonatas 1-4 were during his Russian Period, no. 5 written in France, and 6-9 were his "Soviet Period" according to what I've read.
Rich

 

A great performance of this much underplayed sonata. Standing ovation! It is one of my absolute favourites.

I played the revision (op 135) which for me was a considerable effort (I'm just an amateur - I think you are in a different league) so I am of course biased towards that. I understand what you mean by "watered down" though perhaps I would rather say "concentrated". My take is on this site (I am Joachim Parrow) so those who want can compare. The differences are mainly in the 3rd movement where the revision is more compact. Curiously the endings are different. Also curiously the main theme of the 2nd movement is chromatically different - I cannot imagine why he wanted to change that. It is true the original was not received well at the time but he did the revision practically on his deathbed almost 20 years later - I think it is the last wrote for piano - so it seems strange that this reception would be the cause.

You strike a brisker pace in the outer movements than I do, and bring it out very well, though I do feel that a bit of the details become difficult to hear and some of the contemplative mood is lost. This is absolutely a subjective thing of course. You project a strong feeling of restless playfulness which is very engaging, perhaps at the expense of some drama. This is all subjective. My conception of this is of children playing but disturbed by ghosts and monsters, and after a while the children are not so innocent any more. From you I more get a feeling of youthful enthusiasm and spirit, and it is very coherent.

My only real complaint is of your pedalling in the 3rd mov which I feel is too heavy and blunts some of the crispness. A detail: 3rd mov m4 you give a heavy accent on the half-note D#, and the runs beginning in m9 are not as pp as they could be. But these are details. The minor slips did not bother me at all, for a live performance this is a truly great achievement. Congratulations!

 

Thanks for the comment---I just came across this for the first time, but I appreciate your comments!
Rich