The Prokofiev Piano Concerto in C Major is a bit more chromatic than the others that have previously been reviewed. The clarinet solo and ending duet of the first few bars a welcome bright burst of color. The strings follow at a brisk pace making way for the piano to come in in a startling fashion. Right away, the ear picks up the dense chromaticism that became manifest in the Romantic period. The title of the piece says it’s in C major but the quickly goes off chromatically into what sounds like the relative minor (same key signature). His concerto sounds a lot like what early films would have given us for music in the early part of the 20th century. After a bit more bouncing chromaticism, the orchestral texture lunges forward in a brilliantly crisp and bright C Major celebration—and this is just the first movement.
The chromaticism is what indeed makes this piece stand out from other piano concertos, in some instances becoming more bright and in others becoming more dark, alluding to elements as yet unheard. The seemingly presto piano piano passages could make you dizzy on first listen. That, or they will surely make your jaw drop.
The next movement takes the minor key of the fifth degree of the C scale. In sonata form, the second movement is supposed to either go to the minor third or the fifth degree of the starting scale the piece takes on. Here we go with breaking conventions. The Romantic period was one of invention and this movement—this concerto is definitely a turning point. The movement starts in E minor for starters and continues with an underbelly of instruments holding on E while higher instruments have this chromatic action on top of it.
All in all, this concerto is inspiring and jaw-dropping but it could use a bit less chromaticism and more action in the home key just because this reviewer’s ear wears on the chromaticism a bit after quite a few minutes of it.
