Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28

Instrumentation

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Editions (2)

• Original Lvl 8 6 min
• Original Lvl 8 7 min

Musical Terms (11)

• Allegro precipitato Italian
  Fast and precipitous — headlong, rushing forward with barely controlled urgency.
  Prokofiev's precipitato markings demand absolute rhythmic drive without any hint of romanticism. The momentum should feel inevitable, like an object falling — maintain strict pulse even as the texture thickens.
• Andante tranquillo Italian
  At a walking pace, tranquil. Calls for a calm, undisturbed character — the opposite of Prokofiev's acerbic wit.
  Prokofiev's lyrical slow passages require the same precision as his fast ones — the tranquility is controlled, not vague. Avoid excessive rubato; let the melody sing without sentimentality.
• Classical style English
  Prokofiev's deliberate neo-classical aesthetic — the use of Classical formal clarity and diatonic melody in combination with sharp dissonance and modernist harmonic language.
  The tension between the familiar and the jarring is the defining quality. The Classical melodic shapes must be clearly recognisable; the dissonances must be clearly audible as intrusions.
• con brio Italian
  With vigour, brilliance, and energy. Indicates sparkling, vital character.
  In Prokofiev's context, con brio means percussive brilliance rather than Romantic warmth. A bright, incisive touch with clear articulation serves the style better than a singing tone.
• fuggevolmente Italian
  Fleetingly, in a fleeting manner. Used in the Visions fugitives to indicate an evanescent, momentary quality.
  These pieces should feel like brief impressions — glimpsed and gone. Keep the tone light and the pacing unpredictable; some Visions should feel almost improvisatory even though every note is written.
• martellato Italian
  Hammered. Indicates forceful, heavily accented repeated notes or chords, like hammer blows.
  Central to Prokofiev's percussive piano writing, especially in the War Sonatas. Use firm finger contact and minimal pedal — the hammered effect requires each note to be dry and decisive.
• Moderato Italian
  At a moderate pace. In Prokofiev's War Sonatas this marking often belies the emotional intensity beneath — moderate in speed only.
  Don't let Moderato become Andante. In the Sonata No. 7 second movement, for example, the moderate tempo should feel measured and contained rather than relaxed — the tension is structural, not decorative.
• precipitato Italian
  Headlong, rushing forward — indicating a driven, unstoppable rhythmic energy.
  Associated above all with the finale of Prokofiev's 7th Sonata. The rhythm must feel inevitable and locomotive — the tempo barely under control but never breaking. This is controlled frenzy.
• sarcasm English
  The characteristic ironic, biting quality in Prokofiev's music — wit with an edge.
  Prokofiev's sarcasm (as in the Sarcasms, Op. 17) involves hard accents, unexpected rhythmic displacements, and a deliberate coarseness of tone. The music mocks rather than decorates.
• sarcastic English
  Prokofiev's own character descriptor — biting, sardonic, mocking. A hallmark of his early style, especially the Sarcasms Op. 17.
  Play sarcastic passages with deliberate exaggeration — sharp accents, sudden dynamics, and a deadpan refusal to soften the edges. Avoid making the music charming; the ugliness is intentional.
• toccata style English
  A perpetual-motion rhythmic texture characterised by relentless, even eighth notes or sixteenth notes with minimal melodic relief — mechanical energy as musical content.
  The toccata style (as in Prokofiev's Toccata Op. 11) demands absolute rhythmic evenness. Any accent not written in is wrong; the machine-like quality is deliberate and must be maintained.