A start with Prokofiev

[mussorgsky]

How to start with Prokofiev? Which piece is the best start for this astonishing but difficult composer? I'm looking into the Sarcasms op.17, but you may have better ideas. Thank you! 

[nocturnetr]

Definetely not his Toccata  . I'm no expert but I think you should try the Montagues and Capulets for the piano.

[andreslr6]

Pick a few of the Visions Fugitives op.22 , I don't know, 4 or 5? depending on what else you're playing. Also, they range from being super easy to being Prokofievish-hard , so depending on your skill and level too, you can pick 4 of the easiest, or 2 easy and 2 hard ones, etc. They are 20 in total, maybe you can start a project of playing them all one day, or learn them all in 2013 for New Years resolution .

But that's definitely my recommendation, start with those. The Sarcasms are a pretty good choice as well, but I would pick the Visions over Sarcasms because: 1. I may be wrong, but the Visions are played much more less than the Sarcasms, and 2. Because of the different difficulties you can find in the Visions, you can even look them as mini etudes like Chopin's Preludes, whereas the Sarcasms are all around the same difficulty range.

Transcriptions of his Romeo, Love of the 3 Oranges, etc. are good too, but I wouldn't pick those because of how much they are played, there's a lot of Prokofiev not being played. He has also some sets of small pieces which are never played that may be even better choices than the Sarcasms because of that.

EDIT: LOL, I was hearing your video of the competition you just posted while writing this without knowing it was you! hahaha, congrats! Now that I hear you maybe you can play 6 visions fugitives and 2 Sarcasms right away. Talk with your teacher.

[mussorgsky]

Pick a few of the Visions Fugitives op.22 , I don't know, 4 or 5? depending on what else you're playing. Also, they range from being super easy to being Prokofievish-hard , so depending on your skill and level too, you can pick 4 of the easiest, or 2 easy and 2 hard ones, etc. They are 20 in total, maybe you can start a project of playing them all one day, or learn them all in 2013 for New Years resolution .

But that's definitely my recommendation, start with those. The Sarcasms are a pretty good choice as well, but I would pick the Visions over Sarcasms because: 1. I may be wrong, but the Visions are played much more less than the Sarcasms, and 2. Because of the different difficulties you can find in the Visions, you can even look them as mini etudes like Chopin's Preludes, whereas the Sarcasms are all around the same difficulty range.

Transcriptions of his Romeo, Love of the 3 Oranges, etc. are good too, but I wouldn't pick those because of how much they are played, there's a lot of Prokofiev not being played. He has also some sets of small pieces which are never played that may be even better choices than the Sarcasms because of that.

EDIT: LOL, I was hearing your video of the competition you just posted while writing this without knowing it was you! hahaha, congrats! Now that I hear you maybe you can play 6 visions fugitives and 2 Sarcasms right away. Talk with your teacher.

I guess I'll start with those two suites. Sarcasms are my favourite works by Prokofiev and today I just went through a recording of VF and it seems I like them as well.
   By the way, I don't find any problem in the fact that a piece is overplayed. But then, it's sometimes boring to hear Montagues and Capuletes all the time.
   As well as for overplaying Prokofiev... well in my country that's rellatively impossible, because I can remember about twenty people playing his music and most of them are professors or other teachers in The Bulgarian Academy of music. And then again, I might be wrong about this, but... it does look like Prokofiev is not well known in Bulgaria.

[andreslr6]

I guess I'll start with those two suites. Sarcasms are my favourite works by Prokofiev and today I just went through a recording of VF and it seems I like them as well.
   By the way, I don't find any problem in the fact that a piece is overplayed. But then, it's sometimes boring to hear Montagues and Capuletes all the time.
   As well as for overplaying Prokofiev... well in my country that's rellatively impossible, because I can remember about twenty people playing his music and most of them are professors or other teachers in The Bulgarian Academy of music. And then again, I might be wrong about this, but... it does look like Prokofiev is not well known in Bulgaria.

Good, you'll have a lot of fun while learning Prokofiev , specially with the Sarcasms. I hope you get into VF as well too, it has a full range of moods as well, Charles Rosen even wrote that VF was Prokofiev's masterpiece.

Anyways, I'll be waiting to hear your Prokofiev, I assume you'll aim for one of his Sonatas later

[amelialw]

Yes, I couldn't agree more...his Visions Fugitives are a good starting point for Prokofiev and they are fun to learn as well. After that you could always move on to one of his smaller; earlier sonatas or look into his other works

[williampiano]

Ever heard the ten episodes op. 12? They are the pieces I started with when I started playing Prokofiev and you might find some of them interesting. If you are thinking the Sarcasms are around your level, then these might be also.