Identifier

etd-11182010-173826

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Sergei Prokofiev was an extremely prolific composer whose career brought him success throughout Europe and the U. S. as well as Russia and the Soviet Union. He wrote for nearly every genre, and his most popular works today include operas, ballets, symphonies, and concertos. As a pianist, most of the concertos and sonatas that Prokofiev wrote were for the piano. However, his contributions to the violin repertoire are significant. Prokofiev wrote two concertos and two sonatas for solo violin. Of these, Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, Op. 80 is unique for many reasons. The piece took Prokofiev eight years to finish, an unusually long amount of time for a composer who normally wrote quickly. He began the piece in 1938, shortly after permanently returning to the Soviet Union. At this point, Prokofiev’s career and popularity seemed to be at its peak. By the time the piece was premiered in 1946, Prokofiev had been subject to Soviet censorship and travel restrictions. In addition, the overall tone of the sonata is significantly harsher and more melancholic than Prokofiev’s other works for violin. These characteristics give the sonata unparalleled potential for meaningful individual interpretations. It is the interpretation of this piece that is of primary focus in this instance. Several factors regarding the origins, context, and schools of interpretation are considered. These factors include details of Prokofiev’s biography leading up to Op. 80’s completion, a brief history of Op. 80’s composition and early reception, a formal analysis of the piece, a review of available recordings, interviews of professors at major conservatories in the U. S., and a comparison of available editions.

Date

2010

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Lilleslatten, Espen

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.2587

Download

Included in

Music Commons

Share

COinS