{ program notes
a straightforward recapitulation lead
to a fine, gently melancholy close.
Rather than the savage scherzos he’d
enjoyed writing earlier in his career,
Prokofiev takes a leaf out of Tchaikovsky’s
book with a lusciously melodious waltz
for the second movement — music that
is reminiscent of his ballet Cinderella.
Some mildly spiced seasonings from brass,
woodwinds, and pizzicato strings as well
as a fast, vivacious coda add a little heat to
this beautifully scored music.
From the first rich-toned sweep of
the cellos, movement three is music
of tender nostalgia for a bygone time:
perhaps the Czarist Russia of Prokofiev’s
youth. In fact, it is built on a beautifully
expressive theme f