Toccata (Prokofiev)

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The Toccata in D minor, opus 11 is a work for piano by Sergei Prokofjew from 1912. It is a prime example of the modern Toccata , which has changed a lot since Bach on Schumann . The premiere took place on December 10, 1916 in St. Petersburg, the composer played the piano himself.

style

In 1941 the composer presented the main stylistic lines of his work in the magazine "Sowjetskaja Musyka". First he pursued a classical line, then the line of a completely new harmony, then the motor line and finally the lyrical line. The composer often referred to the third line, the motor line, as the "Toccaten line", and he regarded his Toccata op. 11 as the most outstanding example of this style. Even if this element was the least important for Prokofiev, it is for many Listeners who are used to lyricism, classicism and bold harmony from others, Prokofiev's most distinctive stylistic feature. He was inspired by Robert Schumann's Toccata op. 7, which Prokofiev had a strong influence on.

music

While in Bach the form actually had no definition, rather the definition consisted of the fact that the toccata was an improvised piece, the toccatas of the 20th century, by composers such as Ravel , Kabalewski and Chatschaturian , are always characterized by a pulsating rhythm. So this piece, too, typical of Prokofiev, has a special rhythmic vitality. The piece, however, contains even more innovations. It is the first piece in music history that does not contain a noticeable melody, but only consists of broken chords, repetitions or other melody-like fragments.

The piece begins with a sustained repetition of the note D, with the left hand alternately playing an octave and the right hand repeating the upper note of this octave. This kind of introduction is followed by a development where the right hand only ever plays individual notes of a broken down chord, while the left hand jumps back and forth over the right hand.

The piece continues in a similar fashion with decomposed thirds, chromatic scales, and similar elements. At the end of the piece there is an impressive glissando .

Discography

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Many virtuoso pianists have recorded this piece. Among the myriad of recordings, the recording by the composer himself, that of Lazar Berman , which is characterized by an excellent dramaturgical design, and that of the young Martha Argerich , which impresses with speed and precision, stand out. Another important recording is that of Vladimir Horowitz , which is particularly idiosyncratic; Horowitz has also left out part of the musical text.

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