Symphony No. 4 (Prokofiev)
Encyclopedia
Symphony No. 4, Op. 47/112 is actually two works by Sergei Prokofiev
. The first, Op
. 47, was written in 1929 and premiered in 1930. The second, Op. 112, is a large-scale revision
from 1947. Both of the works share significant musical material with Prokofiev's ballet
L’enfant Prodigue or The Prodigal Son.
The two works are stylistically different, because their respective compositional contexts were different. They are formally different as well, and the instrumentation
and scope of the revision is much larger.
Because Prokofiev's Symphony
No. 4 is in fact two different works, two different but related examinations are required.
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Throughout this time as a touring virtuoso
, Prokofiev also continued to compose. Symphony No. 2 in D minor
premiered in Paris under the baton of Serge Koussevitsky in the summer of 1925, to tepid critical response. At the same time, Sergei Diaghilev
, the ballet impresario, suggested that Prokofiev write a ballet on a Soviet subject. The resulting piece was Le pas d'acier (‘The Steel Steps’), Prokofiev's third ballet for Diaghilev, which premiered in Paris in the summer of 1927. He had also been working on an opera
entitled The Fiery Angel, of which several premieres had been cancelled. He decided to salvage some of the material from the opera, and turned it into his Symphony No. 3 in C minor
. In late 1928, with the aforementioned Soviet tour cancelled, Prokofiev decided to accept another ballet commission from Diaghilev. This piece, rather than being on futurist themes like Le pas d'acier, was based on a Biblical story: L’enfant Prodigue (Parable of the Prodigal Son
from the Bible). The moralistic, Biblical subject matter was not an anomaly; such subjects were popular in the Parisian ballet scene in the late 1920s.
As Prokofiev was composing The Prodigal Son in early 1929, he found that many of the themes he was creating would work better in a more developmental symphonic context, rather than the more episodic layout of a ballet. So, he began composing a new symphony, alongside the ballet. The two works share much of the same material, although one does not specifically borrow from the other: they were composed mostly concurrently. The ballet, The Prodigal Son, premiered in Paris in the summer of 1929, to great critical acclaim. It would be the last collaboration between Diaghilev and Prokofiev, because Diaghilev died just months later, in August.
The symphony that resulted, Symphony No. 4 Op. 47, began from material originally written for the ballet's fourth number. Prokofiev expanded the material into a sonata form
, and the resulting music is the first movement
of Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. The rest of the symphony draws on material that appears in the ballet, or that Diaghilev rejected as not fitting his vision for the ballet.
Koussevitsky had been discussing a commission
for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
with Prokofiev in 1929. Prokofiev's response was Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. However, because the commission fee was lower than Prokofiev was willing to accept, Prokofiev only allowed the Boston Symphony to purchase the manuscript
of the work, rather than commission it. This meant that Prokofiev received less money, and the Boston Symphony did not get the prestige of a commission. Prokofiev worked on Symphony No. 4 Op. 47 on the long train rides he had to take during a tour of the United States in early 1930. However, because of disagreements with Koussevitsky, he returned to Paris in March, before the symphony's premiere in Boston
in November.
, beginning with an introduction
and ending with a Coda
. The introduction
, exposition
, development, recapitulation
, and Coda
are clearly distinguished by different tempo
markings and time signature
s. Though the movement begins and ends in C major
the tonal center is ambiguous as it is constantly shifting.
The opening of the movement begins with a slow, newly composed introduction, a warm melody
played by the woodwinds (ex.1). This melody
also appears in the second movement.
This introduction then leads to the main section, marked allegro eroico. The vigorous, hard-edged theme is taken from the second number of the ballet. The excitement of the music is created by the constant 16th-note
rhythm
played by strings (ex.2). This "machine music" ostinato
provides an important part of the texture. The second subject is a lyrical counter-theme, marked Piu tranquillo, introduced by the flute
. Following the principles of tripartite first-movement form, the earlier material is developed, and then returns in a varied recapitulation
.
, based on the final episode of the ballet
. The serene, glowing theme contains the most memorable melody
in the work. Prokofiev exalts the moment with the simplest of the flute
melodies (ex.3), blending itself with the strings.
The form of this movement is ABCB1A1DXA2, with A being the glowing melody and X a reminiscence of the symphony's introduction. The BCB1 component can be considered a ternary
episode. B suggests a sonata transition, while the C material arrives with the weight of a sonata
second subject. In a purported sonata allegro scheme, the B1 section would inaugurate the development, given its more active texture and return to the main key of C. The A theme is developed next, with canonic imitations in E-flat major, after which surface the mysterious B-major chords of section D. These two sections (D and X) shatter the proposed sonata scheme, and in place of a recapitulation, the movement closes with another reprise of the lyrical A theme.
and Trio
. This elegant and spirited movement is the only movement that Prokofiev borrowed completely from the ballet
, including the third number as the main body, and the fifth as the ending.
The music of the ballet's third number proceeds up to the last four bars, when it switches to a reprise
of the ballet's fifth number.
At the Scherzo
, Prokofiev indulges in new delicacies of orchestration
, giving a sinuous dance theme to the strings (ex.4), and decorating it on its return. The angular unisons framing the Trio section benefit from a touch of counterpoint
in the trumpet
and horn
parts, and the ballet dance's form lends itself perfectly to a classically proportioned scherzo.
. The first theme (in C major
) is formed of a combination of the toccata
-like opening of the ballet
's first number with the lyrical melody from the ballet's second number. These elements are altered both as a unit and as separate elements throughout the movement. The transition to the second theme consists of a quick sequence of variations on the lyrical portion of the first theme, modulating
quite a distance (to G-flat major at one point). The second subject is newly composed for the symphony
, and is a minor third away, in A major
.
The development consists primarily of a large section from the ballet's fifth number, dominated by horns and tuba
. The toccata
-like material from the first theme is also subjected to heavy development. The recapitulation
is prefaced by a jarring statement of the theme from the fifth number in B-flat major, followed by a blaring diminished-seventh
fanfare
. The recapitulation
begins with the newly composed second theme, and transitions to the Coda
through some variations of the fanfare
motive
from the end of the development. The coda consists of a push and pull between C major
and C minor
, with the major key
winning, based largely on material from the ballet's ninth number.
In addition to Prokofiev, other reputable composer
s such as Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Honegger were also commissioned to write music for Boston
in the 1930-1931 season. The Fourth Symphony was completed and premiered November 14, 1930 in Symphony Hall
in Boston with Serge Koussevitzky
conducting in the composer's absence. This symphony would be his third and final symphony to be composed outside of the Soviet Union.
Prokofiev finished the Fourth Symphony well before the deadline, and was optimistic about the work. Koussevitzky on the other hand was skeptical of Prokofiev's reworking of ideas from the ballet, and the premiere received a lukewarm reception. Music critics began accusing Prokofiev of running dry of ideas after several unsuccessful performances of the work. Prokofiev consequently provided a statement to a Soviet magazine protesting these accusations.
The European premiere of the Fourth Symphony occurred on December 18, 1930 in Brussels
under Pierre Monteux
. The program at this premiere would prove to be problematic, because Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
(which was first on the program) was a triumphant success, and overshadowed the Fourth Symphony, which immediately followed. The Fourth Symphony also received little to no positive attention at its Soviet premiere on October 30, 1933 at the Bolshoy Theater
. Prokofiev persevered despite this trend of disappointment, and later in 1937 he performed the Fourth Symphony at a festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution
. At this concert, Israel Nestyev states that the Fourth Symphony "was received coldly." These poor receptions not only hindered Prokofiev's confidence, but also drew negative attention from the Soviet Committee of Arts and Affairs.
In 1932, Joseph Stalin
created the Union of Soviet Composers
, and laid out a doctrine
of "socialist realism
" in art. This meant that for art to be supported by the regime
, it had to be relevant to everyday people, and it needed to glorify the best of socialism
. In reality, this led to bans of material disliked, or deemed "formalist
", by the regime.
In the summer of 1936, after many recent trips and performances in the Soviet Union, the Prokofiev family moved there. Prokofiev had been promised many privileges, including the freedom to move freely, which were eventually curtailed. As Prokofiev was considering a return to the Soviet Union, he believed that the direction his music was taking at the time (a simpler, more straightforward style) would allow him to excel there.
Starting in 1946, there was an even more extreme crackdown on Soviet musicians, led by Andrei Zhdanov
. Many works and composers were banned and warned, including Prokofiev himself, although he had been relatively successful and popular in the Soviet Union up until that time. In the winter of 1946-1947, he finished work on Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor
. Prokofiev was also working on his opera War and Peace
, the second part of which would be subject to cancellation in the summer of 1947 by the authorities, due to the composer's refusal to cut certain controversial scenes.
In early 1947, Prokofiev was presented with the idea of revising his Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. The idea appealed to him for several reasons. First, the original version had never had much success (especially in the Soviet Union), but Prokofiev believed that the material had great potential. Second, he had just had great success with his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
, and he hoped to reshape No. 4 in its image. Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
had been in the style of socialist realism
, so many of the changes in the revision lent the new work a more expansive and heroic feel. The revision altered the original so thoroughly that Prokofiev felt that it was a new work; thus the new opus number, 112. In the summer of 1947, when the revisions took place, he also orchestrated Symphony No. 6
and wrote two propaganda
pieces: Festive Poem and Flourish, O Mighty Land, both works for large forces.
, the augmentation
of the original material doubles the length of the movement
. The orchestration
of this movement is also thicker than the original, and more closely resembles the orchestration
of Prokofiev's Fifth
and Sixth
. The combination of a heavier use of brass
and the use of piano
and harp
adds a unique timbre
to the piece, further distancing it from the original neoclassical
idiom. The different sections are not as clearly identified by tempi as is the original symphony
. In the introduction
a new theme is added (ex.5) that precedes the original first theme.
Apart from this new theme, the introduction
is essentially the same. The main difference in this revision is the heavily expanded development section. Prokofiev expands the sound palette with string Tremolo
s and dissonant
chords in the brass
. This movement also includes many more key changes and expands the machine-like ostinati
from the first version. Prokofiev also utilizes more transitional material before introducing and underscoring the new subjects.
, the second movement's revision basically doubles its length. It is extended primarily by repeating many thematic statements that only appeared once in Opus 47.
In this movement, the four-measure
introduction is extended by four measures and supplemented with
striking new harmonies. There are other such expansions: the B theme is doubled by alternating its sub-phrases
with new material of a "ticking clock" quality. Later on, the A theme is also doubled in size: first it is played in E-flat major and then in B major
. Consequently, there is a modulation
to G major
. At the 3/4, the melody in the oboes and english horn appears as in Opus 47, but here this passage leads to a reminiscence of the original introduction theme. After the appearance of the introduction theme, following a reappearance of theme A, Prokofiev moves quickly back to the original, restrained ending, taken from the ballet
.
, Prokofiev adds to the Scherzo
and Trio
a new introduction
, extends the coda
, and inserts material at the main transition points that further develop the subjects.
The introduction
begins with a light touch, presenting motifs
that anticipate the later themes. The newly added coda
has a serious character created by the somber harmony
and the momentary appearance of a chorale
-like texture. Such serious, weighty passages place the original, lighter material in figurative quotation marks, almost mocking them as unserious or unworthy.
that underwent the most alteration in the revision process. It is no longer in sonata form
, but instead it is a series of thematic areas that are developed somewhat chaotically, followed by a triumphant apotheosis
. It is similar in form to the finale of the Sixth Symphony
in this way. An introduction
is added, which takes the toccata
-like material from the ballet
's first number, and slows it to half the speed, and emphasizes the martial character by adding pounding timpani
and bass drum
(ex.6). The first theme and transition from Opus 47 follow, but then the second theme is deleted entirely.
Instead of the second theme, the transition moves into a dark and moody section in E-flat major and in 6/8 meter, resembling some kind of somber procession. After a somewhat abrupt end to this section, the original development from Opus 47 proceeds unaltered. Because the second theme from Opus 47 has been removed, there is no recapitulatory
gesture. Instead, a new coda
follows, with a quick, dancing theme. Prokofiev described this cancan-like material as "thievish." This theme is abruptly interrupted by the new, slowed-toccata
idea from the introduction
blaring out triumphantly, a victory cry for the people. The piece ends on this jarring, incongruous note.
issued commands that Prokofiev's music (among others) be banned from concert halls, amid accusations of "formalism
." The revised Symphony No. 4 was thus not performed in the Soviet Union until 1957, after the composer's death.
Symphony No. 4 Op. 112 had three significant premiere performances. The first premiere was Sir Adrian Boult conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra
in a radio broadcast on March 11, 1950. The concert premiere was Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducting the U.S.S.R. State Symphony Orchestra
on January 5, 1957 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory
. Finally, the first performance of the Symphony No. 4 Op. 112 in the western hemisphere
was by the Philadelphia Orchestra
under the direction of Eugene Ormandy
on September 27, 1957.
In a review of Neeme Järvi
's recordings of Prokofiev's Third
and Fourth Symphonies, Robert Cummings states that:
This statement is substantiated by the fact that there are twice as many recordings available of Opus 112 as there are of Opus 47. Robert Layton offers another perspective on the relationship between the two versions in his review of the Fourth Symphony. It provides some insight into the relative neglect that Opus 47 has felt, in comparison to the more monumental Opus 112:
It was not until the mid 1980's that both Opus 47 and Opus 112 were presented in complete recordings of Prokofiev symphonies. Neeme Järvi
was the first conductor
to do this, in 1988, and presented them both as masterpieces worthy of attention. Opus 47 was subsequently deleted from the catalog, shortly after the album
's release. It was not until Valery Gergiev
released a Prokofiev complete symphonic recording in 2006 that Russia and the western world
were again able to hear both versions. Mstislav Rostropovich
has also presented both versions in a complete symphonic collection. In 2002, the first study score for Opus 47 was finally published.
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...
. The first, Op
OP
OP, O.P., or Op may refer to any of the following:* Observation post, a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements* Ocean Pacific, a retail company based in California, United States...
. 47, was written in 1929 and premiered in 1930. The second, Op. 112, is a large-scale revision
Revision
Revision is the process of revising.More specifically, it may refer to:* Update, a modification of software or a database* Revision control, the management of changes to sets of computer files* Belief revision...
from 1947. Both of the works share significant musical material with Prokofiev's ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
L’enfant Prodigue or The Prodigal Son.
The two works are stylistically different, because their respective compositional contexts were different. They are formally different as well, and the instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
and scope of the revision is much larger.
Because Prokofiev's Symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
No. 4 is in fact two different works, two different but related examinations are required.
Context and genesis
As a concert pianist, Prokofiev travelled worldwide, and toured the United States during the 1925-26 season. In early 1927, he went on a two-month concert tour of the Soviet Union. He planned to return in 1928, but those plans fell through. In 1929, another planned Soviet tour was cancelled, this time because of a hand injury Prokofiev suffered in a car accident.Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
, Prokofiev also continued to compose. Symphony No. 2 in D minor
Symphony No. 2 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 2 in D minor in Paris in 1924-5, during what he called "nine months of frenzied toil". He characterized this symphony as a work of "iron and steel".- Structure :...
premiered in Paris under the baton of Serge Koussevitsky in the summer of 1925, to tepid critical response. At the same time, Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev , usually referred to outside of Russia as Serge, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise.-Early life and career:...
, the ballet impresario, suggested that Prokofiev write a ballet on a Soviet subject. The resulting piece was Le pas d'acier (‘The Steel Steps’), Prokofiev's third ballet for Diaghilev, which premiered in Paris in the summer of 1927. He had also been working on an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
entitled The Fiery Angel, of which several premieres had been cancelled. He decided to salvage some of the material from the opera, and turned it into his Symphony No. 3 in C minor
Symphony No. 3 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 3 in C minor in 1928.-Background:The music derives from Prokofiev's opera The Fiery Angel. This opera had been accepted for performance in the 1927-28 season at the Berlin State Opera by Bruno Walter, but this production never materialised; in fact, the...
. In late 1928, with the aforementioned Soviet tour cancelled, Prokofiev decided to accept another ballet commission from Diaghilev. This piece, rather than being on futurist themes like Le pas d'acier, was based on a Biblical story: L’enfant Prodigue (Parable of the Prodigal Son
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son, also known as the Lost Son and the Prodigal Father, is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Luke a father extravagantly gives his sons their inheritance before he dies...
from the Bible). The moralistic, Biblical subject matter was not an anomaly; such subjects were popular in the Parisian ballet scene in the late 1920s.
As Prokofiev was composing The Prodigal Son in early 1929, he found that many of the themes he was creating would work better in a more developmental symphonic context, rather than the more episodic layout of a ballet. So, he began composing a new symphony, alongside the ballet. The two works share much of the same material, although one does not specifically borrow from the other: they were composed mostly concurrently. The ballet, The Prodigal Son, premiered in Paris in the summer of 1929, to great critical acclaim. It would be the last collaboration between Diaghilev and Prokofiev, because Diaghilev died just months later, in August.
The symphony that resulted, Symphony No. 4 Op. 47, began from material originally written for the ballet's fourth number. Prokofiev expanded the material into a sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, and the resulting music is the first movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
of Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. The rest of the symphony draws on material that appears in the ballet, or that Diaghilev rejected as not fitting his vision for the ballet.
Koussevitsky had been discussing a commission
Commission (art)
In art, a commission is the hiring and payment for the creation of a piece, often on behalf of another.In classical music, ensembles often commission pieces from composers, where the ensemble secures the composer's payment from private or public organizations or donors.- Commissions for public art...
for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
with Prokofiev in 1929. Prokofiev's response was Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. However, because the commission fee was lower than Prokofiev was willing to accept, Prokofiev only allowed the Boston Symphony to purchase the manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
of the work, rather than commission it. This meant that Prokofiev received less money, and the Boston Symphony did not get the prestige of a commission. Prokofiev worked on Symphony No. 4 Op. 47 on the long train rides he had to take during a tour of the United States in early 1930. However, because of disagreements with Koussevitsky, he returned to Paris in March, before the symphony's premiere in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in November.
Instrumentation
- Woodwinds: PiccoloPiccoloThe piccolo is a half-size flute, and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. The piccolo has the same fingerings as its larger sibling, the standard transverse flute, but the sound it produces is an octave higher than written...
- 2 FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s - 2 OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s - English Horn - 2 ClarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s in B-flatB-flatB-flat or B may refer to:* B-flat major* B-flat minor* The musical pitch B* B-flat Jazzclub in Berlin, Germany...
and A - Bass ClarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
- 2 BassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s - ContrabassoonContrabassoonThe contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon or double-bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower...
- BrassBrass instrumentA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
: 4 hornsHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
in F - 2 TrumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s in C - 3 TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s - TubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
- Percussion: TimpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
- Bass DrumBass drumBass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
- Snare DrumSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
- CymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s - Suspended cymbalSuspended cymbalright|thumb|Classical suspended cymbalA suspended cymbal is any single cymbal played with a stick or beater rather than struck against another cymbal. A common abbreviation used is sus. cym., or sus. cymb. .-History:...
- StringsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
: ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s (1st and 2nd) - ViolaViolaThe 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...
s - CelloCelloThe 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...
s - Double BassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es
Andante - Allegro eroico
The first movement is in sonata formSonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, beginning with an introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
and ending with a Coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
. The introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
, exposition
Exposition (music)
In musical form and analysis, exposition is the initial presentation of the thematic material of a musical composition, movement, or section. The use of the term generally implies that the material will be developed or varied....
, development, recapitulation
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
, and Coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
are clearly distinguished by different tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
markings and time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
s. Though the movement begins and ends in C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
the tonal center is ambiguous as it is constantly shifting.
The opening of the movement begins with a slow, newly composed introduction, a warm melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
played by the woodwinds (ex.1). This melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
also appears in the second movement.
This introduction then leads to the main section, marked allegro eroico. The vigorous, hard-edged theme is taken from the second number of the ballet. The excitement of the music is created by the constant 16th-note
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
played by strings (ex.2). This "machine music" ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
provides an important part of the texture. The second subject is a lyrical counter-theme, marked Piu tranquillo, introduced by the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. Following the principles of tripartite first-movement form, the earlier material is developed, and then returns in a varied recapitulation
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
.
Andante tranquillo
The second movement is in C majorC major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, based on the final episode of the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
. The serene, glowing theme contains the most memorable melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
in the work. Prokofiev exalts the moment with the simplest of the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
melodies (ex.3), blending itself with the strings.
The form of this movement is ABCB1A1DXA2, with A being the glowing melody and X a reminiscence of the symphony's introduction. The BCB1 component can be considered a ternary
Ternary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
episode. B suggests a sonata transition, while the C material arrives with the weight of a sonata
Sonata
Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...
second subject. In a purported sonata allegro scheme, the B1 section would inaugurate the development, given its more active texture and return to the main key of C. The A theme is developed next, with canonic imitations in E-flat major, after which surface the mysterious B-major chords of section D. These two sections (D and X) shatter the proposed sonata scheme, and in place of a recapitulation, the movement closes with another reprise of the lyrical A theme.
Moderato, quasi allegretto
The form of this movement is ScherzoScherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
and Trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. This elegant and spirited movement is the only movement that Prokofiev borrowed completely from the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, including the third number as the main body, and the fifth as the ending.
The music of the ballet's third number proceeds up to the last four bars, when it switches to a reprise
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
of the ballet's fifth number.
At the Scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
, Prokofiev indulges in new delicacies of orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
, giving a sinuous dance theme to the strings (ex.4), and decorating it on its return. The angular unisons framing the Trio section benefit from a touch of counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
in the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
parts, and the ballet dance's form lends itself perfectly to a classically proportioned scherzo.
Allegro risoluto
The fourth movement draws on material from numbers 1, 2, 5, and 9 of the ballet, and is in sonata formSonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
. The first theme (in C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
) is formed of a combination of the toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
-like opening of the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
's first number with the lyrical melody from the ballet's second number. These elements are altered both as a unit and as separate elements throughout the movement. The transition to the second theme consists of a quick sequence of variations on the lyrical portion of the first theme, modulating
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
quite a distance (to G-flat major at one point). The second subject is newly composed for the symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, and is a minor third away, in A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
.
The development consists primarily of a large section from the ballet's fifth number, dominated by horns and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. The toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
-like material from the first theme is also subjected to heavy development. The recapitulation
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
is prefaced by a jarring statement of the theme from the fifth number in B-flat major, followed by a blaring diminished-seventh
Diminished seventh
In classical music from Western culture, a diminished seventh is an interval produced by narrowing a minor seventh by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from A to G is a minor seventh, ten semitones wide, and both the intervals from A to G, and from A to G are diminished sevenths,...
fanfare
Fanfare
A Fanfare is a relatively short piece of music that is typically played by trumpets and other brass instruments often accompanied by percussion...
. The recapitulation
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
begins with the newly composed second theme, and transitions to the Coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
through some variations of the fanfare
Fanfare
A Fanfare is a relatively short piece of music that is typically played by trumpets and other brass instruments often accompanied by percussion...
motive
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
from the end of the development. The coda consists of a push and pull between C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
and C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
, with the major key
Major scale
In music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales. It is made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first an octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, ", the "Do" in the parenthesis at...
winning, based largely on material from the ballet's ninth number.
Early reception
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s such as Stravinsky, Hindemith, and Honegger were also commissioned to write music for Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the 1930-1931 season. The Fourth Symphony was completed and premiered November 14, 1930 in Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Boston
Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home. The hall was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1999...
in Boston with Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky
Serge Koussevitzky , was a Russian-born Jewish conductor, composer and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.-Early career:...
conducting in the composer's absence. This symphony would be his third and final symphony to be composed outside of the Soviet Union.
Prokofiev finished the Fourth Symphony well before the deadline, and was optimistic about the work. Koussevitzky on the other hand was skeptical of Prokofiev's reworking of ideas from the ballet, and the premiere received a lukewarm reception. Music critics began accusing Prokofiev of running dry of ideas after several unsuccessful performances of the work. Prokofiev consequently provided a statement to a Soviet magazine protesting these accusations.
The European premiere of the Fourth Symphony occurred on December 18, 1930 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
under Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux
Pierre Monteux was an orchestra conductor. Born in Paris, France, Monteux later became an American citizen.-Life and career:Monteux was born in Paris in 1875. His family was descended from Sephardi Jews who came to France in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition. He studied violin from an early age,...
. The program at this premiere would prove to be problematic, because Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev set to work on his Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 in 1912 and completed it in 1913. Performing as solo pianist, he premiered the work on August 23 the same year at Pavlovsk. Most of the audience reacted intensely...
(which was first on the program) was a triumphant success, and overshadowed the Fourth Symphony, which immediately followed. The Fourth Symphony also received little to no positive attention at its Soviet premiere on October 30, 1933 at the Bolshoy Theater
Bolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
. Prokofiev persevered despite this trend of disappointment, and later in 1937 he performed the Fourth Symphony at a festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. At this concert, Israel Nestyev states that the Fourth Symphony "was received coldly." These poor receptions not only hindered Prokofiev's confidence, but also drew negative attention from the Soviet Committee of Arts and Affairs.
Context and Genesis
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
created the Union of Soviet Composers
Union of Soviet Composers
The USSR Union of Composers or Union of Composers of the USSR , , was a professional organisation of composers in the Soviet Union...
, and laid out a doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
of "socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
" in art. This meant that for art to be supported by the regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
, it had to be relevant to everyday people, and it needed to glorify the best of socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. In reality, this led to bans of material disliked, or deemed "formalist
Formalism (music)
In music theory and especially in the branch of study called the aesthetics of music, formalism is the concept that a composition's meaning is entirely determined by its form.-Aesthetic theory:Leonard B...
", by the regime.
In the summer of 1936, after many recent trips and performances in the Soviet Union, the Prokofiev family moved there. Prokofiev had been promised many privileges, including the freedom to move freely, which were eventually curtailed. As Prokofiev was considering a return to the Soviet Union, he believed that the direction his music was taking at the time (a simpler, more straightforward style) would allow him to excel there.
Starting in 1946, there was an even more extreme crackdown on Soviet musicians, led by Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Zhdanov
Andrei Alexandrovich Zhdanov was a Soviet politician.-Life:Zhdanov enlisted with the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1915 and was promoted through the party ranks, becoming the All-Union Communist Party manager in Leningrad after the assassination of Sergei Kirov in 1934...
. Many works and composers were banned and warned, including Prokofiev himself, although he had been relatively successful and popular in the Soviet Union up until that time. In the winter of 1946-1947, he finished work on Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor
Symphony No. 6 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor in 1947.-Background:The symphony, written as an elegy of the tragedies of World War II, has often been regarded as the darker twin to the victorious Symphony No...
. Prokofiev was also working on his opera War and Peace
War and Peace (Prokofiev)
War and Peace is an opera in two parts , sometimes arranged as five acts, by Sergei Prokofiev to a Russian libretto by the composer and Mira Mendelson, based on the novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy...
, the second part of which would be subject to cancellation in the summer of 1947 by the authorities, due to the composer's refusal to cut certain controversial scenes.
In early 1947, Prokofiev was presented with the idea of revising his Symphony No. 4 Op. 47. The idea appealed to him for several reasons. First, the original version had never had much success (especially in the Soviet Union), but Prokofiev believed that the material had great potential. Second, he had just had great success with his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major in Soviet Russia in one month in the summer of 1944.-Background:Fourteen years had passed since Prokofiev's last symphony....
, and he hoped to reshape No. 4 in its image. Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major in Soviet Russia in one month in the summer of 1944.-Background:Fourteen years had passed since Prokofiev's last symphony....
had been in the style of socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
, so many of the changes in the revision lent the new work a more expansive and heroic feel. The revision altered the original so thoroughly that Prokofiev felt that it was a new work; thus the new opus number, 112. In the summer of 1947, when the revisions took place, he also orchestrated Symphony No. 6
Symphony No. 6 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor in 1947.-Background:The symphony, written as an elegy of the tragedies of World War II, has often been regarded as the darker twin to the victorious Symphony No...
and wrote two propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
pieces: Festive Poem and Flourish, O Mighty Land, both works for large forces.
Instrumentation of Op. 112
These are the additional instruments that are added- Woodwinds: E-flat ClarinetSoprano clarinetThe soprano clarinets are a sub-family of the clarinet family.The B clarinet is by far the most common type of soprano clarinet - the unmodified word "clarinet" usually refers to this instrument...
- BrassBrass instrumentA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
: 1 trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- KeyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
: PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Percussion: TriangleTriangle (instrument)The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
, TambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, and Wood blocks
- StringsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
: HarpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
Andante - Allegro eroico
In this revised first movementMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
, the augmentation
Augmentation (music)
In Western music and music theory, the word augmentation has three distinct meanings. Augmentation is a compositional device where a melody, theme or motif is presented in longer note-values than were previously used...
of the original material doubles the length of the movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
. The orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
of this movement is also thicker than the original, and more closely resembles the orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
of Prokofiev's Fifth
Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major in Soviet Russia in one month in the summer of 1944.-Background:Fourteen years had passed since Prokofiev's last symphony....
and Sixth
Symphony No. 6 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor in 1947.-Background:The symphony, written as an elegy of the tragedies of World War II, has often been regarded as the darker twin to the victorious Symphony No...
. The combination of a heavier use of brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
and the use of piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
adds a unique timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
to the piece, further distancing it from the original neoclassical
Neoclassicism (music)
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint...
idiom. The different sections are not as clearly identified by tempi as is the original symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
. In the introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
a new theme is added (ex.5) that precedes the original first theme.
Apart from this new theme, the introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
is essentially the same. The main difference in this revision is the heavily expanded development section. Prokofiev expands the sound palette with string Tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
s and dissonant
Consonance
Consonance is a stylistic device, most commonly used in poetry and songs, characterized by the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in short succession, as in "pitter patter" or in "all mammals named Sam are clammy".Consonance should not be confused with assonance, which is the...
chords in the brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
. This movement also includes many more key changes and expands the machine-like ostinati
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
from the first version. Prokofiev also utilizes more transitional material before introducing and underscoring the new subjects.
Andante tranquillo
To fit the larger scale of a socialist realist symphonySymphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
, the second movement's revision basically doubles its length. It is extended primarily by repeating many thematic statements that only appeared once in Opus 47.
In this movement, the four-measure
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
introduction is extended by four measures and supplemented with
striking new harmonies. There are other such expansions: the B theme is doubled by alternating its sub-phrases
Phrase (music)
In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
with new material of a "ticking clock" quality. Later on, the A theme is also doubled in size: first it is played in E-flat major and then in B major
B major
In music theory, B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps....
. Consequently, there is a modulation
Modulation (music)
In music, modulation is most commonly the act or process of changing from one key to another. This may or may not be accompanied by a change in key signature. Modulations articulate or create the structure or form of many pieces, as well as add interest...
to G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
. At the 3/4, the melody in the oboes and english horn appears as in Opus 47, but here this passage leads to a reminiscence of the original introduction theme. After the appearance of the introduction theme, following a reappearance of theme A, Prokofiev moves quickly back to the original, restrained ending, taken from the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
.
Moderato, quasi allegretto
In this movementMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
, Prokofiev adds to the Scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
and Trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
a new introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
, extends the coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
, and inserts material at the main transition points that further develop the subjects.
The introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
begins with a light touch, presenting motifs
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
that anticipate the later themes. The newly added coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
has a serious character created by the somber harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and the momentary appearance of a chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
-like texture. Such serious, weighty passages place the original, lighter material in figurative quotation marks, almost mocking them as unserious or unworthy.
Allegro risoluto
The finale is the movementMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
that underwent the most alteration in the revision process. It is no longer in sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, but instead it is a series of thematic areas that are developed somewhat chaotically, followed by a triumphant apotheosis
Apotheosis
Apotheosis is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature...
. It is similar in form to the finale of the Sixth Symphony
Symphony No. 6 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 6 in E-flat minor in 1947.-Background:The symphony, written as an elegy of the tragedies of World War II, has often been regarded as the darker twin to the victorious Symphony No...
in this way. An introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
is added, which takes the toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
-like material from the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
's first number, and slows it to half the speed, and emphasizes the martial character by adding pounding timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
(ex.6). The first theme and transition from Opus 47 follow, but then the second theme is deleted entirely.
Instead of the second theme, the transition moves into a dark and moody section in E-flat major and in 6/8 meter, resembling some kind of somber procession. After a somewhat abrupt end to this section, the original development from Opus 47 proceeds unaltered. Because the second theme from Opus 47 has been removed, there is no recapitulatory
Recapitulation (music)
In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form. The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition...
gesture. Instead, a new coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
follows, with a quick, dancing theme. Prokofiev described this cancan-like material as "thievish." This theme is abruptly interrupted by the new, slowed-toccata
Toccata
Toccata is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasizing the dexterity of the performer's fingers...
idea from the introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
blaring out triumphantly, a victory cry for the people. The piece ends on this jarring, incongruous note.
Reception and performance history
In early 1948, shortly after the revisions of Opus 112 were completed, the Union of Soviet ComposersUnion of Soviet Composers
The USSR Union of Composers or Union of Composers of the USSR , , was a professional organisation of composers in the Soviet Union...
issued commands that Prokofiev's music (among others) be banned from concert halls, amid accusations of "formalism
Formalism (music)
In music theory and especially in the branch of study called the aesthetics of music, formalism is the concept that a composition's meaning is entirely determined by its form.-Aesthetic theory:Leonard B...
." The revised Symphony No. 4 was thus not performed in the Soviet Union until 1957, after the composer's death.
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
in a radio broadcast on March 11, 1950. The concert premiere was Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducting the U.S.S.R. State Symphony Orchestra
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation
The State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation is a Russian orchestra based in Moscow...
on January 5, 1957 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. Finally, the first performance of the Symphony No. 4 Op. 112 in the western hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
was by the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
under the direction of Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.-Early life:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five...
on September 27, 1957.
In a review of Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others...
's recordings of Prokofiev's Third
Symphony No. 3 (Prokofiev)
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 3 in C minor in 1928.-Background:The music derives from Prokofiev's opera The Fiery Angel. This opera had been accepted for performance in the 1927-28 season at the Berlin State Opera by Bruno Walter, but this production never materialised; in fact, the...
and Fourth Symphonies, Robert Cummings states that:
Opinion among musicologists and critics has tended to favor the earlier work, but
conductors have shown a marked preference for the expanded version in the both
the concert hall and recording studio.
This statement is substantiated by the fact that there are twice as many recordings available of Opus 112 as there are of Opus 47. Robert Layton offers another perspective on the relationship between the two versions in his review of the Fourth Symphony. It provides some insight into the relative neglect that Opus 47 has felt, in comparison to the more monumental Opus 112:
It is generally agreed that the transformation from dance to symphony in the Fourth is accomplished with less success than is the metamorphosis from The Flaming Angel to the Third Symphony, and whether in reworking the 1930 version Prokofiev wholly succeeded remains open to question. Let us hope that the appearance of these scores presages a resurgence of interest in Prokofiev's Paris years, for works such as the now neglected QuintetQuintet (Prokofiev)-Background:In 1923, when Prokofiev was staying in Paris, a travelling troupe commissioned a ballet from him. However, the ensemble that provided music accompaniment to the troupe only contained five members. This provided Prokofiev an opportunity to write more chamber music. His most recent...
, Op. 39, and the almost forgotten Divertissement for orchestra, Op. 43DivertimentoDivertimento is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the divertimento is most often lighthearted and it is generally composed for a small ensemble....
, deserve a far more prominent place in the repertory.
It was not until the mid 1980's that both Opus 47 and Opus 112 were presented in complete recordings of Prokofiev symphonies. Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others...
was the first conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
to do this, in 1988, and presented them both as masterpieces worthy of attention. Opus 47 was subsequently deleted from the catalog, shortly after the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
's release. It was not until Valery Gergiev
Valery Gergiev
Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,...
released a Prokofiev complete symphonic recording in 2006 that Russia and the western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
were again able to hear both versions. Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
has also presented both versions in a complete symphonic collection. In 2002, the first study score for Opus 47 was finally published.
Original version (Op. 47)
| Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne Gurzenich Orchestra | Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko is a Russian conductor.He was born in Leningrad and studied at the Glinka Conservatory and those of Leningrad and Moscow. He was a prizewinner in the first Herbert von Karajan competition in 1969.... |
Phoenix Edition | 2008 | CD |
| London Symphony Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:... |
Valery Gergiev Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,... |
Philips Philips Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company.... |
2006 | CD |
| Orchestre National de France Orchestre National de France The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre... |
Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of... |
Erato Records Erato Records Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 to promote French classical music. In 1992 it became part of Warner Bros. Records. In 1999 Erato launched a subsidiary Detour Records.... |
1988 | CD |
| Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others... |
Chandos Records Chandos Records Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :... |
1988 | CD |
| Orchestre National de l'ORTF | Jean Martinon Jean Martinon Jean Martinon was a French conductor and composer.-Biography:Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire de Paris to study under Albert Roussel for composition, under Charles Munch and Roger Désormière for conducting, under Vincent d'Indy for harmony,... |
VoxBox | 1972 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
| Orchestre des Concerts Colonne | Georges Sébastian Georges Sébastian Georges Sébastian was a French conductor of Hungarian birth, particularly associated with Wagner and the post-romantic repertory .... |
Uranian records | 1954 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
Revised version (Op. 112)
| Orchestra | Conductor | Record Company | Year of Recording | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne Gurzenich Orchestra | Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko is a Russian conductor.He was born in Leningrad and studied at the Glinka Conservatory and those of Leningrad and Moscow. He was a prizewinner in the first Herbert von Karajan competition in 1969.... |
Phoenix Edition | 2008 | CD |
| London Symphony Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:... |
Valery Gergiev Valery Gergiev Valery Abisalovich Gergiev is a Russian conductor and opera company director. He is general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.- Early life :Gergiev,... |
Philips Records Philips Records Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also... |
2006 | CD |
| National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine is one of the principle orchestras of Ukraine.... |
Theodore Kuchar Theodore Kuchar Theodore Kuchar is a Ukrainian American conductor of classical music and a violist.-Biography:Kuchar was born in 1960 in New York City. He started to learn to play the violin at ten years of age, later switching to viola... |
Naxos Records Naxos Records Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest... |
1999 | CD |
| Berlin Philharmonic | Seiji Ozawa Seiji Ozawa is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:... |
Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label... |
1996 | CD |
| Malmö Symphony Orchestra Malmö Symphony Orchestra The Malmö Symphony Orchestra is a Swedish orchestra, based in Malmö. Since 1985, the orchestra has given its main concert series in the Konserthuset, Malmö. The orchestra has a current complement of 94 musicians... |
James DePreist James DePreist James Anderson DePreist is an American conductor. One of the few African American conductors on the world stage, he is currently the director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony.-Biography:DePreist was born in Philadelphia... |
BIS BIS Records BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden.BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recordings.... |
1994 | CD |
| Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953... |
Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Kitajenko Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko is a Russian conductor.He was born in Leningrad and studied at the Glinka Conservatory and those of Leningrad and Moscow. He was a prizewinner in the first Herbert von Karajan competition in 1969.... |
Melodiya Melodiya Melodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"... |
1993 | CD |
| Orchestre National de France Orchestre National de France The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre... |
Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of... |
Erato Records Erato Records Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 to promote French classical music. In 1992 it became part of Warner Bros. Records. In 1999 Erato launched a subsidiary Detour Records.... |
1988 | CD |
| Scottish National Orchestra | Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others... |
Chandos Records Chandos Records Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :... |
1988 | CD |
| Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Czech Philharmonic Orchestra The Česká filharmonie is a symphony orchestra based in Prague and is the best-known and most respected orchestra in the Czech Republic.- History :... |
Zdeněk Košler Zdenek Košler Zdeněk Košler was a Czech conductor, who played an important role in Czech musical life of the second half of 20th century, notably during the sixties and the eighties. He was particularly well-known as an opera conductor.... |
Supraphon Supraphon Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :... |
1983 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... /CD |
| London Philharmonic Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Walter Weller Walter Weller Walter Weller is an Austrian conductor and violinist.-Biography:Weller was born in Vienna, Austria where he first gained renown as a prodigy on the violin... |
Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... |
1977 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... /CD |
| Philadelphia Orchestra Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900... |
Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist.-Early life:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music at the age of five... |
Columbia Masterworks | 1960 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
| The State Radio Orchestra of the U.S.S.R Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio is a Russian classical music orchestra established in 1930. Originally founded as the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, it served as the official symphony for the Soviet All-Union Radio network... |
Gennadi Rozhdestvensky | MGM/Melodiya Melodiya Melodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"... |
1959 | LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
Sources
- Cummings, Robert. "Clearly (Jarvi) stands out above his competition." The Prokofiev Page.
- Frolova-Walker, Marina. "Between Two Aesthetics: The Revision of Pilnyak's Mahogany and Prokofiev's Fourth Symphony." In Sergey Prokofiev and his world, ed. Simon Morrison. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. 452-492.
- Hunt, Marilyn. "The Prodigal Son's Russian Roots. Avant Garde and Icon." Dance Chronicle 5 no. 1 (1982). 24–49.
- Jaffe, Daniel. Sergey Prokofiev. London: Phaidon, 1998.
- Järvi, Neeme. "The complete symphonies." The Royal Scottish Orchestra, dir. Neeme Järvi. Chandos Classics CHAN 10500, 1984.
- Johnson, David. "Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 Op. 47/112." The Philadelphia Orchestra, dir. Eugene Ormandy. Columbia Masterworks MS 6154, 1960.
- Layton, Robert. "Symphony No. 4; Le Pas d'acier, op. 41 by Serge Prokofiev." Music and Letters 71 no. 3 (Aug., 1990): 457-459.
- Morrison, Simon. The People's Artist. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Nestyev, Israel. Prokofiev. Trans. Florence Jonas. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1960.
- Nice, David. Prokofiev: From Russia to the West 1891-1935. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.
- ------. "Prokofiev: The Complete Symphonies." London Symphony Orchestra, dir. Valery Gergiev. Phillips 475 7655, 2006.
- Press, Stephen D. Prokofiev's Ballets for Diaghilev. Burlington: Ashgate, 2006.
- Prokofieff, Serge. Symphony no. 4: first version, opus 47. New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 2002.
- Prokofiev, Sergei. Symphony no. 4, op. 47/112: second version. Melville: Belwin Mills, [19--].
- Redepenning, Dorothea. "Prokofiev, Sergey (Sergeyevich)." Grove Music Online
- Robinson, Harlow. Sergey Prokofiev: A Biography. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2002.
External links
- Symphony No. 4 (original version) at prokofiev.org
- Symphony No. 4 (revised version) at prokofiev.org
- [ Symphony No. 4 in C major, Op. 47 (first version) at allmusic.com]
- [ Symphony No. 4 in C major, Op. 112 (second version) at allmusic.com]
- Symphony No.4 in C, Op.47 (first version) at classicalarchives.com
- Symphony No.4 in C, Op.112 (second version) at classicalarchives.com