Dissonance in Prokofiev and in Neo-classical music

[kghayesh]

When playing Prokofiev's music, usually you find minor-2nd intervals many times. It is known that a minor 2nd interval is very annoying for the listener's ear. So, I was asking about something.... should we try not to emphasize on these minor 2nd intervals and make them noticeable?? i.e: whenever we have a minor 2nd, should we accent one note and not the other, so we lessen the effect of the dissonance? or should we play it as it is written because this is the way it is inteded to be played?

[ramseytheii]

It's part of the texture so don't pretend like it doesn't exist.

Walter Ramsey

[thierry13]

It does NOT annoy the ear because it is dissonant. Dissonance can be often very beautiful, and in many cases Prokofiev uses them very well. I would at the opposite accentuate the dissonance as to make sure it is very clear.

[indutrial]

When playing Prokofiev's music, usually you find minor-2nd intervals many times. It is known that a minor 2nd interval is very annoying for the listener's ear. So, I was asking about something.... should we try not to emphasize on these minor 2nd intervals and make them noticeable?? i.e: whenever we have a minor 2nd, should we accent one note and not the other, so we lessen the effect of the dissonance? or should we play it as it is written because this is the way it is inteded to be played?

If it doesn't say to play those specific notes in a softer fashion, where's the real mystery? The music is what it is, regardless of the notion that minor 2nds, tritones, and other jagged intervals are more challenging to the ear. How the piece sounds to the listeners' ears shouldn't really be a concern if you want to play music written by neoclassicists, especially since many of them used polytonality and verged on 12-tone free tonal work from time to time.