Sergey Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14 & No. 5, Op. 38/135 - 10 Pieces for Piano, Op. 12
11/30/2018, 17 Tracks, 59:35
Featuring
Lukas Geniušas
Sergei Prokofiev
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Composition History
Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14, is an early work that helped establish him as a significant composer, according to Francis Poulenc.
Critical Reception
When Prokofiev performed his Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14, in his first American recital in 1918, critics described it as a 'charge of mammoths on some vast Asiatic plateau' rather than linking it to the then-popular motoric style.
Compositional Technique
The slow movement of Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 14, is unusually gloomy for his work, reflecting the tragic loss of his friend, pianist Maximilian Schmidthoff, who informed Prokofiev of his suicide in a letter.
Composer Biography
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a child prodigy who studied at the Saint-Petersburg Conservatory under notable composers like Liadov and Rimski-Korsakov.
Performer Biography
Lukas Geniušas, the Russian-Lithuanian pianist on this recording, is known for his wide-ranging repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary works, with a particular focus on Russian composers like Prokofiev.
Composition History
Prokofiev revised his Piano Sonata No. 5 between 1952 and 1953, likely as an attempt to redeem himself after being denounced by Andrei Jdanov in 1948.
Composition History
Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 38/135, is the only sonata he composed outside Russia before his definitive return to the USSR in 1936, and it exists in two versions.
