02 June 2015

"A lot of notes..." Wisdoc

Saw this man, Yefim Bronfman, perform this piece, Prokofiev, Sonata No. 7, opus 83, III. Precipitato (1942) as a worthy encore to a wonderful Beethoven Fourth Piano Concerto. If the word 'virtuoso' ever applied... One of the most magnificent performances of anything I have ever seen. Four minutes of jaw-dropping, show-stopping brilliance. A piece designed to dazzle. I urge you to listen. And check that rumbling left hand at about 2:22!



Wikipedia says this about the piece:  "The Precipitato finale, once described as "an explosive burst of rock 'n' roll with a chromatic edge",[6] is a toccata[7] which boldly affirms the key of the sonata through a more diatonic harmonic language than found in the first movement. This is obvious from the very beginning, with simple B♭ major triads repeated over and over again. Despite a wide range of performance tempos chosen by different pianists, the effect is nevertheless imposing and exciting. The toccata culminates into a furious recapitulation of the main theme, taxing all ten fingers to the utmost, until the piece finally ends triumphantly in a thundering cascade of octaves."

2 comments:

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Very nice, Jim H.
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