Sunday 20 November 2011

Prokofiev´s Classical Symphony.

Last October 22nd, the Gijón Symphony Orchestra played, among other works, Prokofiev´s Symphony #1 ("Classical"). As always, playing works by this composer is a real pleasure, and this article will deal with a fragment of its "Allegro con brio".

Before going on, here´s the score for that fragment (you can click on it to see it bigger):




This is the timpani part:




Estudying the score, we can see that, four bars before M (four before 20 in the score or, simply, 19 -sorry about the different editions) celli and basses play 8th notes (C-E-G-E, C-E-G-E...). The rest of the orchestra is playing either two quarter notes a bar, or a sustained note. The timpani are in no man´s land, as they sustain a long note while articulating 16th´s (no other instruments play this figure). Also, instruments playing long notes are clarinets, oboes and flutes which, in principle, are not related to timpani.

For all these reasons, my decision was to play the same thing as celli and basses do, ending my interpretation being this:


    

This is the final result (audio starts right on L), recorded live at Teatro Jovellanos in Gijón under Óliver Díaz (I´m sorry I cannot offer you a video like in previous occasions... Just audio this time):




As you already know, I´m in favor (always with a deep knowledge and the utmost respect for Music) of modifying the parts.

What do you think about this edition?


…et in Arcadia ego.
© David Valdés

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