Sergei Prokofjew

Piano Sonata No. 2 op. 14

Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14, composed in 1912 and premiered in Moscow in 1914 by the composer himself, marks an early triumph in his career. Dedicated to his close friend Maximilian Schmidthof, who tragically took his own life, the sonata carries a deep emotional undercurrent beneath its virtuosic surface. The four-movement work opens with a brooding Allegro, ma non troppo, followed by a playful yet spiky Scherzo, a melancholic Andante, and a dazzling finale filled with driving energy and percussive brilliance. Balancing expressive Romantic gestures with daring harmonic language and bold pianistic textures, the sonata exemplifies Prokofiev's emerging voice as both a provocateur and a melodist. Reprint edition.