Prokofiev’s Eight Piano Sonata
A personal narration of a unique gem of the 20th century
Part two:
"First movement - Exposition"
Primary section and first theme: Light and Darkness upon the world
Like every other piano sonata by Sergei Prokofiev, the first movement begins directly with its theme and no introduction is offered. A rather intimate phrase, primordial element of the entire first movement, surrounds the atmosphere in a deep and comforting B flat major which yet, following its development in the third and fourth bars, it already adventures in mysterious grounds. No specific images or particular sensations are evoked at the beginning, and where its compositional texture might recall the intimate world taking place in the beginning of the fourth piano sonata, here the musical content hides a message or story of a much greater significance, a broader feeling conveyed by the specular placement of the four voices constituting the initial polyphony.
The narrative process of the first entire section is characterised by a singular fluency and linearity, despite being organised in clearly separated sections. The elements or instruments which one after the other take on the scene, contribute to broaden this sense of constant stillness and annunciation rather than stop the flowing of the phrase. Moreover, the wisely chosen chromatic and harmonic counterpoint in which they develop creates a unified texture dense of subtle but significant changes, and the apparent distant harmonies relations are melted together by a circular structure of twin four-bars phrases.
After one last come back to the primary theme-group sentence of the very beginning, this time the music expands and reach the highest and most intense pinnacle of this section, a brief eruption before it calms down and retreats in the abyss, where the pure unknown is what the listener will be faced with.
Transition and second theme: hieroglyphs
Prokofiev’s talent in storytelling and his ability to evoke specific images and settings often manage to surprise even the most devoted of its listeners, and the beginning of this transition depicts a perfect example. By anticipating one of the main elements which will dominate the development of the first movement, the composer creates an effective illusion. Although a new tempo marking indicates Poco più animato, the two voices in counterpoint descending motion seem to stop the flow of time and generate a sense of bewilderment and fearful enchantment. Furthermore, the long chromatic pedals in the bass line accompanying this secondary theme complement this sense of standstill like weighty steps in the snow.
Just as explorers in front of the unknown, we encounter a phrase which seems to hide an invaluable secret or a cryptic message from the past, like hieroglyphs heralding a mysterious prophecy. Only a few bars later everything will begin to take a clearer shape. A new line of semiquavers in pianissimo snakes in the right hand and suddenly duplicates itself reinvigorating the new theme. The tempo has and should not change and yet, the music starts moving and developing.
An eight-bar progression follows in which the very first theme appears twice in the low register and culminates into a seamless forte explosion. After reaching the highest point, Prokofiev multiplies the tension combining a diminuendo and allargando which flow back to the original Andante I.
The subsequent six bars are some of the most intense and emphatic of the entire movement. With an intricate chromaticism in five voices, this espressivo section returns to a texture similar to the beginning, however the long harmonic pedals of the low register are far gone. As a sort of martyred procession fomented by phrases in anacrusis, this contrapuntal transition is characterised by a constant sense of harmonic instability and reaches its peak in bar 60, where the voices diverge in contrary motion and it finally reaches a pure D major chord in mezzo forte. A new feeling of joyful hope emerges from the sound to fill the soul, and a last low D in the left-hand caresses our face.
Secondary Section and third theme: the apparition
It is rather surprising how after having travelled through extreme harmonic combinations, Prokofiev decided to abide to an ancient tradition of the sonata form by presenting its secondary theme (a role here played by the actual third theme) in the relative minor key. The previous D major chord reveals its only meaning as the dominant of the new g minor key, and thus, we sink into caves of desperation. The third theme appears: three notes of stunning simplicity but huge emotional content. A perfect fifth G - D in the left hand colliding with a C sharp as augmented fourth (the so-called “diabulus in musica”) in the upper octave, generates a unique sensation of loss and impotence also due to the relentless rhythmic character.
Suddenly, a new melody comes from the sky, like a vision to the exhausted soldier who finds himself alone in the trenches with no way to escape, a place where desires and hopes are far gone. This dolce seems to carry an important but enigmatic message. As the Virgin Mary manifested doubt and fear for the apparition of the Archangel Gabriel, the soldier is uncertain whether to trust this vision. The conversation between the two elements develops and reaches a stagnation in a low D pedal before being exposed a second time. At this point, the dynamics rise and the melody of the vision strikes with more force anticipated by a brilliant arpeggio before the different characters melt together and seem to die away in an E minor chord.
Surprisingly, Prokofiev gives the scene again to some material from the transition in order to end this long and dense exposition. With its intense polyphonic counterpoint and after affirming twice an arrival on A minor, the music erupts into the ultimate culmination point of the entire exposition. On a broad G major harmony extended in the whole keyboard, the soldier has found a way to follow and salvation has descended upon him. Yet, the sound fades away and unexpected bells resonate from afar, accompanied by a formula of prayer repeated four times in tenuto notes marked tranquillo.
A long journey still awaits us and later on, at the end of the development section, the same bells will save us from the terror and abomination which dominates existence, bearing the gift of redemption; whether as tangible hope or vain illusion is to the listener to decide.
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