Sergei Prokofiev - 10 Pieces for Piano, Op. 12

Sergei Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) - 10 Pieces for Piano, Op. 12 (1906 - 1913)

I. March [0:00]
II. Gavotte [1:41]
III. Rigaudon [4:40]
IV. Mazurka [6:06]
V. Capriccio [7:32]
VI. Legenda [10:50]
VII. Prelude [13:37]
VIII. Allemande [15:38]
IX. Humoresque scherzo [19:22]
X. Scherzo [21:52]

Frederic Chiu, piano (1996)

Prokofiev's Op. 12 is a set of 10 short pieces for piano, written while Prokofiev was still a student at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. A typical performance lasts around 20 minutes.

"Dating from the composer's student years, these miniatures find Prokofiev in a playful mood. The opening March, with its sharp rhythm and mocking melody, looks ahead to the famous March from The Love for Three Oranges (especially harmonically, with its odd oscillation between F minor and F-sharp minor), but this is a much lighter piece. Gavotte offers early evidence of Prokofiev's Neoclassical tendencies. This is not the same Gavotte he would use in his Classical Symphony; it is more traditional (yet rather comic), a vestige of an assignment for Liadov's composition class. Rigaudon, another nod to the eighteenth century, ranges more widely than the previous movement, but lacks the fluidity and affection of the more famous Rigaudon in Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin. Similarly, the Mazurka is even more halting than its rhythmic pattern requires. It's not at all Chopinesque; Prokofiev adopts a Medieval organum procedure with two harmonic parts, each moving in parallel fourths. The Capriccio has a sharp Neoclassical melodic line, rocking Alberti bass figures, and a two-part form with a recapitulation and a long coda derived from the bass line; the piece might almost be mistaken for Poulenc.

Legend carries no specific program. It begins with a quiet, tentative passage, a brief adagio interruption, then an answer to the opening material, all of which is repeated; next comes an Andante religioso section with its own rudimentary variations, then essentially a reverse of the first section. The Prelude, sometimes encountered in a transcription for harp ("Harp" is, in fact, its subtitle), is a rapid, sparkling, heavily figurated etude. The ABA- patterned Allemande returns to the Neoclassical approach of the Gavotte, now with a comically stomping rhythm (those oafish Germans ...) and a mildly grotesque atmosphere. Humorous Scherzo, with the notation "for four bassoons," is centered toward the low end of the keyboard, with a quick yet grumbling left-hand accompaniment. The brief trio section is comparatively placid and straightforward. The set concludes with another Scherzo, this one without an adjective. It's a vivacissimo perpetuum mobile in a breathtaking flurry of sixteenth notes, beginning pianissimo and building steadily to the sff finish."

(source: AllMusic)

[steffen]

Prokofiev mixes romanticism and modernity just right.

[koyeiyee]

Oh how marvelous. I love them all, especially the Mazurka!

[ssprokofiev]

Frederic Chiu is a very fine interpreter of Prokofiev's music and these performances are excellent!

[Franciscosmourato]

This mazurka is such a fenomenal little piece, quartal harmony presented in a simple, soothing way…

[written]

So good to hear Frederick Chiu again. I had the pleasure of seeing him early in his career when he performed for several years running at the Newport Festival.
I still remember his performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes.

[Spark-pvjs]

Chiu is the best when it comes to early Prokofiev, the way he phrases and articulates Humoresque scherzo literally made me laugh out loud because it sounded so funny.
Spot on performance!

[rampgamercracka]

This recording of the Gavotte brings me beyond tears every single time. In my opinion, it's one of the best solo instrumental works of all time.

[misterwhite]

Allemanda is something WOW. It’s truly unique Prokofiev’s style. And it gives me a big feeling of time.

[aidanm.]

Chiu is easily the best prokofiev interpreter, the bar gets set stupidly high because of him

I noticed that chiu plays way more expressively and innovatively, in a very clear way compared to other pianists. Listen in the scherzo, in the 3rd appearance of the main theme, with the lower register accents, most people make the dominant rhythm those accents, but not chiu, I love it man

[puppy]

I just can't help but think that the allemande is the closest thing we have to the original third movement of the second piano concerto.

[valerieheinderyckx]

Chiu est un excellent pianiste de même qu'un fin connaisseur de Prokofiev... Merci encore ❤.

[조규상-ex]

21:52
21:52
21:52
21:52
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작곡과 화이팅

[lucpraslan]

Go Sergei! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I hear him in every note.

[erliLila]

The allemande is exactly why I love Prokofiev

[mojeo]

No one's talking about that Capriccio. It was amazing.

[williambunter]

The style of these pieces is very like that of Poulenc's delightful 'trois novelettes pour piano' . In fact the first piece here could stand in for the second of the three novelettes. If you haven't done so already, please give yourself a treat and listen to the Poulenc novelettes, .which are posted on you tube. They are gorgeous!

[radovanlorkovic]

Wunderbare Stücke phänomenal gespielt!

[prototropo]

Wonderfully controlled performance of a fabulously wild-eyed composer.

[nnaazzaa]

Прекрасная работа, господин Чиу! 👏👏👏👍

[lylecohen]

Thank you so much, I've been waiting for someone to upload a score video of this for months!