String Quartet No. 1 (Prokofiev)
Encyclopedia
Sergei Prokofiev
wrote his String Quartet No. 1 in B minor (Op. 50) between 1930 and 1931 as a commission from the Library of Congress
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and cello
range. Another distinctive feature is that the finale is the slow movement, which is highly intense in emotion and full of sweeping melodies.
The string quartet is in three movements, lasting around 20–25 minutes:
Prokofiev had liked the finale so much that he transcribed a version of it for string orchestra (as Op. 50a), and included a piano transcription in his pieces op. 52.
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
wrote his String Quartet No. 1 in B minor (Op. 50) between 1930 and 1931 as a commission from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
Analysis
The work is distinctive in that its key, B minor, is just a semitone below the limits of the violaViola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
range. Another distinctive feature is that the finale is the slow movement, which is highly intense in emotion and full of sweeping melodies.
The string quartet is in three movements, lasting around 20–25 minutes:
- Allegro
- Andante molto
- Andante
Prokofiev had liked the finale so much that he transcribed a version of it for string orchestra (as Op. 50a), and included a piano transcription in his pieces op. 52.