Sergei Prokofiev - Op.58 Cello Concerto in E minor (1933-8) (Score, Analysis)

Концерт для виолончели с оркестром/Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Сергей Сергеевич Прокофьев/Sergey Sergeyevich Prokofiev) (1891-1953) was a Russian/Soviet composer, pianist, and conductor. His works range from piano sonatas to operas, and he is regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century.
The impetus for the genesis of this concerto came from Gregor Piatigorsky, who asked for a cello concerto from the composer. In 1933, Prokofiev made some preliminary sketches, but he was not able to make progress till 1937. By 1938, the piece was complete. However, Piatigorsky could not perform in the premiere, as Prokofiev was not allowed to dedicate the work to a foreigner and that the premiere needed to be inside the USSR with a local cellist. Piatigorsky fled Russia in 1921, and lived in France at this time.
So, the premiere was conducted by Lev Berezovsky as the soloist, with Alexander Melik-Pashayev conducting the USSR State Symphony Orchestra. Berezovsky’s rehearsal partner was the young Sviatoslav Richter. According to him, Berezovsky was pleased to have the commission, but he was not really getting the music. It appears that he tried his best, but it was not the best piece for him and so he was not the best interpreter of this piece. Moreover, Melik-Pashayev’s tempo was completely wrong and also impossible to keep up for the soloist. Not surprisingly, the critical reception was disastrous.
It appears that Prokofiev himself became quite disdained at this point, as he showed a very resigned, even abandoning attitude when Piatigorsky and Koussevitsky asked for his advice for the US premiere in 1940, and offered no help at all. However, when the composer heard it in Moscow, played by Mstislav Rostropovich, he was encouraged enough to thoroughly recast the piece into the Sinfonia-Concertante. This remake is more known than the original, and the Sinfonia-concertante was performed by Rostropovich and Richter (his only known appearance as a conductor) in 1952.
Nevertheless, the cello concerto never disappeared from the repertoire, and it has seen cellists who preferred this over the Op.125. I am not a cellist, so I cannot comment on the solo part. However, I still prefer the later version. It feels more coherent to me. However, you can decide on this matter for yourself.
The concerto is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, tuba, timpani, cymbals, castanets, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, and strings.
(0:00) Mov.1 Andante - The first movement is like a lyrical prelude.
(1:13) Second theme
(2:37) Episode 2
(3:28) Third theme
(4:10) T1, in different tonality
(4:48) T3
(5:35) Mov.2 Allegro giusto - The second movement is very vigorous and harmonically unstable.
(5:45) T1 - but it sounds quite related to the first movement T1.
(6:37) Transition
(6:45) T1
(7:08) Transition
(7:21) Ironic
(8:20) T2, lyrical and reminiscent of the first movement T2.
(8:49) Climax
(9:36) Development, with intervals from T1 combined with different rhythm and unstable harmony
(10:04) Also with fragments of T2
(10:21) T2
(10:50) Quiet, fading section
(11:26) Transition with dissonance
(11:44) T1
(12:46) Transition and T2
(14:34) Recapitulation, T1 (followed by the ironic transition after)
(15:41) T2
(16:27) Coda/interlude, with figure from development
(16:53) Hint of the next movement
(17:30) Conclusion, quite reminiscent of T1 in my opinion.
(18:03) Mov.3 Tema (Allegro) - The theme was already given in the last movement and is very simple.
(18:50) Interludio - first interruption
(19:51) Variation 1 - offset rhythm + solo melody
(21:00) Variation 2 - perpetuum mobile-like variation
(22:00) Variation 3 - continuing the texture of previous variation, but slower and more lyrical.
(23:23) Cadenza
(25:45) Interludio 2 - second interruption. The theme is same as the first interludio, but the texture is a bit distorted.
(26:19) From here, the recording is by A. Ivashkin/V. Polyansky/Russian State Symphony Orchestra, since the Starker recording skips through most of the last section for some reason.
(27:05) Variation 4 - A pastoral variation.
(29:40) Reminiscenza - First movement T3
(30:22) T1
(31:54) Coda - still using the first movement T1
(32:45) Virtuosic transition
(33:39) A lyrical melody
(33:55) Finale - second movement T1 appears underneath.
(34:39) A laid-back melody
(35:16) Final passage, with the second movement T1
Source: English/Russian Wikipedia, original research, Preface from the Boosey & Hawkes score
Recording by János Starker, Philharmonia Orchestra, Walter Süsskind
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[@ZewenShifu]

based Prokofiev

[@coasterdragon155]

I’m a cellist-so commenting about the cello part, it’s honestly not as bad as Prokofiev’s later revisions but it’s still tough! Also considering that it feels like parts of music loosely threaded together, the musicality could be a little tricky.