Neoclassicism

(Harmony) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (No.1)

-Very tonal (starts with D major chord and arpeggio)

-‘Chromatic excursions’ to C major within first 20 bars or so.

-Cadences overemphasised (fortissimo with accents, sort of meant to be witty).

-At figure 11 strange voice leading in chord leads to parallel movement in bass (root position chord to another root position chord) anachronistic.

-excursions to other keys in development section e.g., D minor. B minor in transition between S1 and 2. , but always same key signature?? (very classical).

-S2 is in A major

- sudden modulations often to unusual keys.  

-Circle of 5ths in M1 (end of exposition?)

-Drone and open 5ths in M3 reminiscent of Beethoven No.6 or Mahler (Pastorale style).

(Structure) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (No.1)

-M1: Sonata form (D major). S1 in Dmajor, S2 in A major as it should be. However, second version of S1 is in C major. Unlike classical tradition, there is no repeat of the Exposition.

Recap begins in C major the ‘wrong key’.

-M2: Slow movement in A major. (ABA form)

-M3: Gavotte (D major) Traditional baroque dance in 2/2 or 4/4 time instead of usual minuet. (Ternary form)

-M4: Finale (D major). Sonata form.

(Melody) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (No.1)

-regular feel to the metre, but random changes to 2/4 (from 2/2)

-Exaggerated versions of baroque ornamentation (quintuplets and sextuplets). Written out ornaments to highlight.

-Lots of exaggerated dynamics e.g., fortissimo. (for comic effect).

-Exaggerated leaps in the melody (especially subject 2).

-Starts with Manheim rocket.

-Syncopation in development section.

-Regular and balanced phrase lengths.

-Regularity of rhythm (mostly quavers and crotchets/semiquavers).

-Very scalic melodies in M2 (e.g., violin 1 plays very high, scalic, descending, staccato).

-Melodies developed in humorous way (e.g., descending scales at end of exposition reversed to be ascending for just one bar).

-Repeated melodies e.g., start of development same as start of exposition but in D minor.

-In development section flute plays a variation of the melody it plays in the exposition and the violin S2 melody (start is same as flute melody, then it ends with lots of leaps instead of descending).

(Instrumentation) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (No.1)

-Mid-classical orchestra (woodwind pairs, only 2 horns).

-Strings dominate (brass/woodwind only used to highlight important moments).

-But bassoon occasionally overused (plays too high). It’s part would usually be played by strings.

-double bass found on its own (unusual for classical music).

-Strange use of instruments (section with violin, bass, bassoon).

-High writing for violin and double bass. Unusual for classical period. (complex and sort of virtuosic in an understated way).

-Strings play almost ostinato of staccato semiquavers in M2. Heavy reliance on ostinato also in M1.

-In M2 flute and violin 1 play in octaves (this is fine classically).

(Texture) Prokofiev Classical Symphony (No.1)

Homophony but in different ways (e.g., starts with orchestral tutti chord, then texture reduces to MDH with just strings).

-Imitation e.g., Flute melody with large leap and triplet at end (right after c major version of S1) is imitated by oboe and clarinet right after.

-Moments of antiphony e.g., string and woodwind leap followed by cello and double bass octave leap (happens twice).

-Viola and Violin 2 in unison octaves right before violin disjunct melody.

-Still MDH during violin leaps bit, but very reduced (just bassoon staccato arpeggios and bass on beat 1 of every bar).

-Solo flute plays variation of Violin disjunct melody with violin 2 scalic countermelody . (just before fig. 9)