Prokofiev's style had evolved in the 17 or 18 years he lived abroad, following his 1918 departure from Russia. Most of his foreign period was spent in France, where his music gradually developed an arid quality, his lyricism turning slightly intellectual, his playful and sardonic characteristics becoming less prominent and somewhat bleached of color. His keyboard music—the paltry amount there was of it in his French years—had become especially aloof, lacking the attractive melodies and dynamism heard, for example, in his famous trilogy of War Sonatas, Nos. 6, 7, and 8 (1939 - 1944). The three pieces comprising Op. 59, written shortly before the composer's return to the Soviet Union, represent an attempt to simply his style, to replace emotional indifference with a greater warmth of expression.

While these works are fairly direct in their musical language, they are only partially successful in jettisoning negative traits accrued in France. The opening piece, "Promenade," begins with a theme whose emotional character is ambivalent, sounding at one moment playful and the next serious. The middle section is light and jaunty, and the return of the main theme tilts the mood toward the playful, though the music turns introspective in the ending.

The second piece, "Paysage," is a little brighter, though it also features a somewhat serious side. The main theme runs lightly up and down the keyboard in its playful mischief, and alternates with an attractive melody mixing regret and childlike innocence. The last piece is the probably the best in the set. Certainly, it has achieved a greater level of popularity among pianists and the public. It features two lovely melodies, the first stately and gentle in its Romantic manner, the latter a more passionate and slightly intense creation. There is an imaginative development section, followed by a reprise featuring many changes. Prokofiev, a brilliant virtuoso pianist, recorded Nos. 2 and 3 here in February and March 1935 along with a handful of his other piano works. These performances have been available on several different labels over the years.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.