Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 12/05/2006, uploaded on 01/25/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Sarcasms, Op. 17         Sergei Prokofiev

I Tempestoso; II Allegro rubato; III Allegro precipitato; IV Smanioso; V Precipitosissimo

Prokofiev composed the cycle Sarcasms in 1912-1914, at a time when the psychological motifs in his work were becoming more profound.  In his own words, he "was striving for a language to express intense emotions" in this work. Throughout the piece there are many of the author's remarks for the performer, indicating both the tempo and the character of music.  Some of the characteristics of the pieces include: driving energy and irony of No. 1; wild arpeggios and improvisatory quality of No.2; a dark atmosphere and repetitive ostinato of No.3; the madness of high pitched clatter and jerky rhythms in No. 4; and the contrast of biting dissonant chords and a sorrowful Andantino of No. 5 of which Prokofiev wrote: "We often indulge in malicious laughter at someone or something, but when we pause to look, we see how pitiful and sad is the object of our ridicule and we grow ashamed. The mocking laughter rings in our ears, but it is we who are its object now."      Milica Jelača Jovanović

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.