Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Symphony No. 2 in D minor (Op. 40) in 1924-5.

Background

Prokofiev based the symphony's overall structure of a quick, minor-key first movement followed by a set of variations, on Ludwig van Beethoven's last piano sonata. In other respects, however, the piece is decidedly twentieth century. The first movement, in traditional sonata form, in particular is rhythmically unrelenting, harmonically dissonant, and texturally thick. Prokofiev characterized this symphony as a work of "iron and steel". The second movement, twice as long as the first, is a set of variations based on a diatonic theme played by a plaintive, bittersweet oboe, providing an abrupt contrast to the defiant coda of the 1st movement. The subsequent variations contrast moments of beautiful meditation with cheeky playfulness, while the last variation integrates the theme with the violence of the first movement, reaching an inevitable climax. The symphony ends with a touching reinstatement of the plaintive oboe theme, eventually dispelled by an eerie chord on the strings.

After the premiere, Prokofiev commented that neither he nor the audience understood the piece. Prokofiev later said that this symphony led him to have doubts about his ability as a composer for the first time in his life. Prokofiev planned to reconstruct the piece in three movements late in his life, going so far as to assign the project the opus number 136, but the composer died before he could complete the revisions. The symphony has ever since remained an obscure work, possibly the least-played of Prokofiev's seven symphonies.

Movements

The symphony is in 2 movements, lasting 35-40 minutes:

• Allegro ben articolato (12 minutes)
• Theme and Variations (25 minutes)
• Theme: Andante
• Variation 1: L'istesso tempo
• Variation 2: Allegro non troppo
• Variation 3: Allegro
• Variation 4: Larghetto
• Variation 5: Allegro con brio
• Variation 6: Allegro moderato
• Theme

Instrumentation

The work scores for the followings:

Woodwinds

• Piccolo
• 2 Flutes
• 2 Oboes
• Cor Anglais
• 2 Clarinets
• Bass Clarinet
• 2 Bassoons
• Contrabassoon

Brass

• 4 French Horns
• 3 Trumpets
• 3 Trombones
• Tuba

Percussion

• Timpani
• Bass drum
• Cymbals
• Snare drum
• Castanets
• Triangle
• Tambourine

Keyboard

• Piano

Strings

• Violins (1st and 2nd)
• Violas
• Cellos
• Double Basses

Premiere

The piece was premiered in Paris on June 6, 1925, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, and was not well received.

Recordings

Orchestra	Conductor	Record Company	Year of Recording	Format
Scottish National Orchestra	Neeme Järvi	Chandos Records	1986	CD
London Symphony Orchestra	Valery Gergiev	Philips	2004	CD
London Symphony Orchestra	Walter Weller	Decca	?	CD
Orchestre National de France	Mstislav Rostropovich	Erato	1988	CD
Russian State Symphony Orchestra	Valeri Polyansky	Chandos Records	?	CD
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine	Theodore Kuchar	Naxos Records		CD
National Orchestra of the O.R.T.F.	Jean Martinon	Vox Records		CD
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra	Zdenek Kosler	Supraphon		CD
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra	Seiji Ozawa	Deutsche Grammophon	1990	CD
USSR Ministry of Culture State Symphony Orchestra	Gennadi Rozhdestvensky			CD/LP

Notes