Sergei Prokofiev. Ninth Sonata for piano. On the problem of style and interpretation

Abstract

The article examines the content and style features of Sergei Prokofiev's last Sonata in the context of the evolution of his Sonata work. The ninth Sonata, which appeared after the famous and grandiose "Triad", is a special composition in its content, writing style and constructive solutions, in which the Mature and venerable composer unexpectedly made a turn towards chamber writing, characteristic of the lyrics of the early period of creativity. The performance of this work is associated with a number of inherent difficulties. The author of the article suggests that performers of the Sonata should rely on objective data in their interpretation: first of all, on the musical text and specific author's instructions in it. The lack of the Sonata is dramatic conflict images, the predominance of "episodes of static" over "action moments" and the structural features of its forms require great precision of tempo-rhythmic and dynamic ratios of all structural elements of the Sonata, which is a necessary condition for achieving wholeness for the performing forms of work. The chamber style of the composer's writing of this work should also correspond to the style of performance. Restriction in external manifestations and, above all, "moderation" in the entire complex of musical expressiveness used by the author obliges the performer of the Sonata to compensate for this restraint with the internal energy of intonation, careful study and detailing of the musical material in terms of articulation, color, pedalisation, and technical quality of performance. In addition to identifying General approaches to solving difficult performing tasks, the article provides some practical recommendations for performers.