Prokofiev

[liszmaninopin]

I have basically no knowledge of this composer's music.  What are some compositions of his that might be make a worthwhile listen to get an idea of his music or possibly to learn to play?

[guven]

Check this out first: https://www.prokofiev.org

[eddie92099]

Listen to the Second Piano Concerto (my favourite piece of music), the Third Piano Concerto, the Toccata, and the war sonatas (numbers 6, 7 and 8 - 7 is the most accessible),
Ed

[Hmoll]

Listen to the symphonies - esp. #1 the so called Classical Symphony, and #6 - Romeo and Juliet, Leut. Kije, Alexander Nevsky, Love of Three Oranges, Sarcasms, Visions Fugitives, Sonatas for violin and piano.

Oh yes, piano concertos and violin concertos - all of them - and piano sonatas - esp. 2,3,6,7,8.

[thracozaag]

Listen to the Second Piano Concerto (my favourite piece of music

 You have good taste

[guven]

Listen to the Second Piano Concerto (my favourite piece of music

 You have good taste

He sure does  

[BoliverAllmon]

So far from what I know I recommend:

Toccata
Piano Concerto 3
Love of three oranges
Romeo and Juliet


boliver

[eddie92099]

He sure does  

I agree!
Ed

[BoliverAllmon]

I also agree with the second concerto. I just listened to it and fell in love with it.

I was talking with my teacher about the third concerto. She told me that it was a nice little concerto. She actually won a competition with it at 14. Stinkin overachievers and earlystarters.

boliver

[guven]

I was talking with my teacher about the third concerto. She told me that it was a nice little concerto.
boliver

Excuse me , is Prokofiev #3 a 'nice little' concerto ?

[allchopin]

Why is Toccata Op. 11 on the top of the greatest hits list?  I don't know the composer too well, but if this is one of the best pieces of music he produced, I can hardly imagine what the worst would sound like.

[eddie92099]

Why is Toccata Op. 11 on the top of the greatest hits list?  I don't know the composer too well, but if this is one of the best pieces of music he produced, I can hardly imagine what the worst would sound like.

The Toccata is genius,
Ed

[shatteringpulse]

Just think of how the Toccata transformed from Bach to Prokofiev--a recital program of all toccatas would prove very exquisite if not monotonous!

Definitely, I concur, essential Prokofiev includes:

Sonatas 6, 7, 8 (give or take
Concerti 2, 3
The infamous Toccata op. 11
Visions Fugitives (though this is arguable!)

[BoliverAllmon]

yeah, my jaw dropped when she called it a nice little concerto.

boliver

[dinosaurtales]

Excuse me , is Prokofiev #3 a 'nice little' concerto ?

My teacher says stuff like that, too.  they talk funny sometimes.  

[BoliverAllmon]

Sometimes I think she says things like that to make sure that I know that she is the teacher and I am the student.

boliver

[ravel]

toccata is a masterpiece,  so well crafted,
so energetic, hellissssssshhhhhhhhhhh
love that piece, one of the most insane pieces in classical music
piano concerto number two, phew , i dont think i have words for tht piece , and i think i have praised it a lot in this forum, so much so that people might start thinking thats the only piece of classical music i like haha,
well other than that, piano concerto number 1 ,3 and 5,
  5 is so neglected, not many people talk about it, people mostly talk about  2 or 3, i think no.5 deserves as much credit,
sonatas number 6,7,8  particaularly 6,   listen to richter playing it, and then u ll know what the  best of prokofiev could sound like,
hmmm, i am not exactly as fond of his pure orchestral works like romeo and juliet and lieutinent k ije suite, and all, but i definitel love them , his piano  music though is out of the world, some of the most important in piano repertoire, and well disspointingly , it appears to be a dream for me to ever play any of those sonatas  by him, wish i could
its a long way though for me to reach th ere hehe,
anywzzzzzzzzz
laterrrrrrrrr

[eddie92099]

5 is so neglected, not many people talk about it, people mostly talk about  2 or 3, i think no.5 deserves as much credit,

It is unfortunately rather difficult (while not sounding so - unlike the second concerto for example).

disspointingly , it appears to be a dream for me to ever play any of those sonatas  by him, wish i could

Luckily he left a wealth of easier piano pieces - have you looked at Visions Fugitives?
Ed

[dinosaurtales]

ed - you've brought up one of my pet peeves -

any piece that's hard to play, but doesn't sound hard when it's done makes no sense to me at all.  the coolest combo if you can find them, are pieces that aren't that hard, but sound hard when they are played.  I mean, why torture yourself?

[eddie92099]

any piece that's hard to play, but doesn't sound hard when it's done makes no sense to me at all.

In one sense I agree with you, and in the case of Prokofiev 5 it probably "sounds" much harder if you are actually watching it being played (there are huge leaps all over the place).
However, many of Chopin's etudes certainly sound easier than they are (to someone who hasn't seen the score anyway!) - take op.10/2 for example - it sounds to the layman like a chromatic scale with a simple accompanimental figure, while we know it is of course much harder.

the coolest combo if you can find them, are pieces that aren't that hard, but sound hard when they are played.  I mean, why torture yourself?  

Only when playing to an uneducated public,
Ed

[guven]

My teacher says stuff like that, too.  they talk funny sometimes.