Analysis of Prokofiev Sonata No. 7

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Analysis of Prokofiev Sonata No. 7 Harlow Robinson describes Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in Prokofiev’s biography as one of Prokofiev’s most accomplished compositions written since his return to U.S.S.R. It is a dramatic embodiment of the strength and driving intensity of Prokofiev’s (and Russia’s) existence during the War Years. Indeed, this sonata, the second of his three “War Sonatas” composed between 1939 and 1942, was one of Prokofiev’s works that shows the composer’s versatility and genius in the use of motivic and cyclic elements. In the first movement, one could observe the tension of worries and torments in the struggle of relentless intensity. The opening section of the second movement with its gentle lyricism creates a mood which by contrast fills the listener with a little sorrow and anguish. The last movement, which has a strong driving force throughout, could be hardly dissociated from struggle endured by Prokofiev during the War Years. This sonata is closer to atonality than any other composition by Prokofiev while it is the most densely motivic of all his compositions. Two main Grundgestalt motives were used extensively in this seventh sonata, with most of the sonata’s motivic content
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being derived from them. Thus, these two motives appear as the unifying gesture in all three movements of this sonata. The first motive, which its derivations clearly dominate the first movement, is called the “fate motive” and referred to as (c). It is the strongest unifying element throughout the first movement. The motive here is rhythmically similar to the first and famous motive from the Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The first appearance of this motive is in the first few bars of opening of first movement, placed in between the first (b. 1 – 4) and second segment (b. 7 – ...

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