Sinfonietta (Prokofiev)

The Sinfonietta in A major is a composition for orchestra by Sergei Prokofiev.

Background

Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Sinfonietta in A major, Op. 5, in 1909 and dedicated it to Nikolai Tcherepnin, his conducting professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

Prokofiev subsequently modified it twice, once in 1914 and finally in 1929, publishing the final revision as Op. 5/48. The premiere of the final revision was under Konstantin Saradzhev on 18 November 1930.[1]

Analysis

The Sinfonietta is rather similar to the better-known Classical Symphony, being light in character, while infusing Prokofiev's typical twists of harmony. However, it is rarely performed.

Movements

The piece is in 5 movements, lasting around 25 minutes.

  1. Allegro giocoso
  2. Andante
  3. Intermezzo: Vivace
  4. Scherzo: Allegro risoluto
  5. Allegro giocoso

Instrumentation

The music is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets and strings.

Recordings
Orchestra Conductor Record Company Year of Recording Format
Vienna Symphony Orchestra Henry Swoboda Westminster WL 50-31 1950 12-in. LP
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra Dzhemal Daigat Melodiya 1972 LP
Philharmonia Orchestra Riccardo Muti HMV 1978 LP
Scottish National Orchestra Neeme Järvi Chandos 1986 CD
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra Alberto Zedda Virgin Classics 1989 CD
Chicago Chamber Orchestra Dieter Kober Centaur Records 1995 CD
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Kirill Karabits Onyx Records 2014 CD

References
  1. The Prokofiev Page Archived 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine
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