Prokofiev

Music For The Day

Samuel Hooper2 Comments

Continuing the theme from yesterday’s example of fiendishly difficult music to play on the piano, here is the third movement (marked ‘precipitato’) of Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata no. 7, performed by the ever-popular (and indisputably gifted) Chinese pianist Lang Lang:

 

If yesterday’s Alkan “Allegro Barbaro” doesn’t finish a pianist off, this piece is quite likely to do the job. Here is a version with the score playing along in the YouTube video (performance this time by Maurizio Pollini), to really give a sense of the technical demands on the pianist:

 

I can also highly recommend Glenn Gould’s recording of the same work, if you are able to find it; Gou;d’s unique style lends itself quite well to Prokofiev.

Music For The Day

Samuel Hooper4 Comments

“Midnight” from the Cinderella Suite by Sergei Prokofiev:

 

An excellent and dramatic depiction of the clock striking midnight at the ball.

I had the pleasure of seeing the London Symphony Orchestra perform the entire ballet score at their recent BBC Proms concert the other night – as usual, they were on top form, particularly the woodwind section and the excellent and surprising offstage brass ensemble that played from the balcony during one particularly exciting section.

A review of the performance can be found here.

Music For The Day

Samuel Hooper2 Comments

Mahler yesterday, and for today an excellent performance of Prokofiev’s third piano concerto (final movement):

Ah, that’s the good stuff.