Hong Xiang in Recital @ Bechstein Recital Studio
28/11/23 live recording
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
About:
Prokofiev began working on his War Sonatas in 1939, completing the final installment, Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 84, in 1944. While the first two sonatas depict the buildup to conflict and the war itself, the 8th sonata reflects its aftermath. Emil Gilels premiered the work in December 1944, but it was met with a cool reception due to its complexity and esoteric disposition. Even Sviatoslav Richter, who had premiered Prokofiev’s earlier war sonatas, initially found it puzzling. However, both pianists ultimately recognized its depth, with Richter describing it as "profound and full of contrasts... like a tree heavy with fruit."
Prokofiev’s music, in part, rejected his predecessors like Mozart and Chopin. His piano works are characteristically known for conveying primitive emotions through a percussive, metallic style, often employing satire and parody. This style is evident in the middle section of the 8th sonata’s final movement, where a relentless, motivic passage dominates. The use of the minor 9th interval—a jarring, dissonant sound—creates a sense of unease that is fitting for a war sonata.
Despite his disdain for romanticism, Prokofiev sometimes embraced romantic gestures in his later works. This is particularly noticeable in the 8th sonata’s first movement, marked Andante dolce. While the legato melody and texture suggest romanticism, the harmony evokes a sense of ruin and regret. There is a hollow spaciousness as it explores the highest and lowest registers of the piano, building dynamically but without resolution. The development section introduces a tense, urgent atmosphere with disquieting semiquavers and culminates in a climax resembling air-raid sirens. After this, the music retreats into a softer recapitulation before the coda intensifies, closing with a dissonant, quasi-chordal emptiness.
The second movement, Andante sognando, offers a moment of peace, its dreamlike dance-like melody a contrast to the intensity of the outer movements. This brief respite, though punctuated by Prokofiev’s characteristic dissonances, feels like a tranquil snowfall amid the chaos.
The final movement opens with furtive, detached music, darting between (simple and compound) meters before alternating with bold, resonant passages. As the music progresses, the haunting melody from the first movement reappears against a minor 9th bass ostinato, lending a sublime touch. After a brief andantino transition, the movement builds to a triumphant conclusion, described by Boris Giltburg as a “mad whirl of bells and fanfares.” However, whether these sounds represent victory or the aftermath of destruction remains an open question.