The title of this piece by Sergey Prokofiev (1891 - 1953) is sometimes given as Autumn: Symphonic Sketch. It is a student work, and while it shows some traits we associate with the composer's mature style, it owes a large debt to Rachmaninov. Still, this piece is compelling in its effective depiction of sinister serenity and in its sense of unfolding drama in the outer sections. True, the middle section features a theme and orchestration that Rachmaninov might almost have written at the time.

Perhaps the most effective aspect of this composition is its subtle contrast between the two thematic subjects: the first recalls the mood of the opening of Rachmaninov's Isle of the Dead (1909), then a new piece in Russia. The alternate theme is lush and ethereal, yearning for some passionate release. The features most characteristic of Prokofiev himself are the eerie string writing, where the music seems to slither about creepily in transitional sections, and the dark woodwind motives that augur Bernard Herrmann's music in several of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense films. In the end, this must be assessed as one of the composer's stronger early efforts, despite its somewhat derivative nature.

© All Music Guide