Sergei Prokofiev - String Quartet No. 1

Composer: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (23 April 1891 -- 5 March 1953)
Performers: Pavel Haas Quartet
Year of recording: 2009

String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50, written in 1930.

00:00 - I. Allegro
07:02 - II. Andante molto
14:13 - III. Andante

Prokofiev was a versatile composer who wrote substantial quantities of music in almost every major genre. There was an exception of sorts: while his chamber output was not particularly paltry, it was not large, either. There are only two string quartets, for instance, and this Op. 50 effort did not come until mid-career. Written on a commission from the Library of Congress, this quartet is regarded by many as one of Prokofiev's greatest masterpieces, although it is not often performed or recorded. The finale especially has been widely praised as one of the most profound movements he ever composed. The work has an unusual structure: the first two movements are generally lively, while the finale is slow and somber.

The opening movement, marked Allegro, begins with a brisk, strongly accented theme that leaps about almost spastically. An alternate melody of lyrical character contrasts with it. The stormy development section is brilliantly crafted in its intensity and subtle thematic elaborations. The reprise features many imaginative changes in the material, and the movement ends with a sense of urgency.
The middle movement (Andante molto -- Vivace) starts off slowly and somberly, but suddenly turns animated, bringing on a mischievous and somewhat harried Scherzo. The music mixes energy and playfulness, yielding a humorous, sassy piece of great color.
The Andante finale is dark and intense and features themes of considerable depth, from the terse mysterious opening to the long-breathed main theme that pours forth sadness and gloom, then turns briefly sweet. The music becomes more animated and intense after the expository section, but its conflicts are never resolved. The movement ends quietly, fading in a sort of gloomy, mesmeric trance.