Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Boris Berman :: Prokofiev: Complete Piano Sonatas

A complete synthesis of the art of Prokofiev

Massimo Marullo | Messina, Italy | 06/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The nine piano sonatas of Prokofiev occupy an important position in the history of the piano of the twentieth century and they cover a time that crosses whole compositive activity of the Russian composer. In these works we find all the peculiarities of Prokofiev: the percussive and barbaric rudeness of the first period, the synthesis of virtuosity, choreographic spirit and neoclassicism of the intermediary period and the tragic expressiveness of the last sonatas, sometimes transfigured in episodes of intense lyricism; everything is built always with a recognizable style, offering a complete synthesis of the art of Prokofiev. The interpretation of Boris Berman is very valid, idiomatic, and it respects the spirit of the composer adequately. The presence of the recordings of some sonatas (2,6,7,8,9) in the extraordinary interpretation of Sviatoslav Richter prevents me to assign the fifth star to the edition of Berman. To the amateurs of Prokofiev I would recommend the acquisition of the complete edition of the piano works of Prokofiev, in 9 CDs, effected by Berman, also for Chandos; it is surely more expensive, but it represents a cultural contribution of high value. The quality of the recording Chandos is excellent."

An Outstanding Set

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 10/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The recordings made by Boris Berman of the complete piano sonatas by Sergei Prokofiev were noted for their excellence when they appeared during the early 1990s. Prokofiev's piano sonatas follow the composer's career from the beginning to the very end. The first sonata, his opus 1, was reworked from music he wrote in his early teens and is quite a mature work. When we arrive at his second sonata the mature composer has arrived. This work, his opus 14, is an engaging sonata with what will be recognizes as typical melodies and colors very much looking forward to Prokofiev's music to come. The Third and Fourth Sonatas were reworked from much earlier works. Like the First Sonata, the Third is in a single movement and the Tempestoso section is noteworthy for its swirling melody that inspired the young Dmitri Shostakovich when he wrote his First Sonata. The Fourth Sonata is famous for the Andante movement which the composer orchestrated. It is in three movements and the first movement beginning with a gloomy melody that may relate to the suicide of his friend Maximillian Schmidthof for whom the sonata is dedicated (as is the Second Sonatas and Second Piano Concerto). The sonata is a lyrical and reflective work marked by some restraint of Prokofiev's self-confident writing.



The 1920s saw only the Fifth Sonata which was premiered in 1924. The Andantino movement is striking in its similarity to the "Blues" movement of Maurice Ravel's Violin Sonata but, although not overly complex, the harmonies are close to the dense orchestration of the Second Symphony. Much later Prokofiev revised the sonata as his opus 135 when he lightened the tone of the music and clarified the structure. I do not favor one version over the other. With the composition of the Sixth Sonata in 1940 Sviatoslav Richter became the foremost advocate of Prokofiev's keyboard music, and he gave the first performance of the Sixth. This sonata is arguable the composer's most abrasive and there is more conflict in the music than in prior sonatas. The Seventh is a mix of the youthful and mature Prokofiev with an abrasive first movement, a reflective middle movement and an exciting toccata finale. The Eighth Sonata has a very short movement surrounded by two enormous ones, reminiscent of the layout of Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony. Compared to the two sonatas before it, the first two movements of the Eighth are dreamy, sounding more Scubertian than the Prokofiev that wrote the earlier sonatas. The final movement - marked Vivace - is Prokofiev at his most inventive. The middle Andante returns to a reflective mood that looks back to the first movement and returns to the opening tempo.



The Ninth Sonata was completed in 1947 when the dark clouds of official displeasure were looming. The Sonata was dedicated to Sviatoslav Richter and although frequently performed by its dedicatee it has never been a popular work. The music is immediately appealing with a lyrical melody that becomes playful. The charming aspect of the sonata is maintained throughout the sonata, particularly in the short Allegro movement, which is followed by tranquil slow movement punctuated with playful phrases; the sonata closes with a charming finale. What Prokofiev was able to complete of the Tenth Sonata, just two pages of music, is interesting for what might have been. The starting point for the sonata was the Sonatina opus 54 from the early 1930s. This is a very rewarding set that anyone who loves Prokofiev's music will not want to be without this set.

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