Prokofiev's piano sonatas : a guide for the listener and the performer

CD album. 2008.

Boris Berman, concert pianist and teacher, is an authority on Sergei Prokofiev. In this book, he draws on his intimate knowledge of Prokofiev's work to guide music lovers and pianists through the composer's nine piano sonatas. These works, composed between 1910 and 1951, are today considered an indispensable part of the repertoire of every serious concert pianist. The book, written with a deep appreciation of Prokofiev's style and creativity, looks at the sonatas within the context of Prokofiev's complete oeuvre. For each sonata, Berman provides general information about the work and a discussion of the composition's details and features, and in a section entitled 'Master Class' he offers suggestions for interpretation and specific advice for performing. Berman also corrects for the first time various misprints in published scores and includes a helpful glossary of musical terms.
Prokofiev : his life and the evolution of his musical language ; Prokofiev the pianist ; Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 1 ; Sonata no. 2 in D minor, op. 14 ; Sonata no. 3 in A minor, op. 28 ; Sonata no. 4 in C minor, op. 29 ; Sonata no. 5 in C major, op. 38 (first version), op. 135 (second version) ; Sonata no. 6 in A major, op. 82 ; Sonata no. 7 in B-flat major, op. 83 ; Sonata no. 8 in B-flat major, op. 84 ; Sonata no. 9 in C major, op. 103 ; Sonata no. 10 in E minor, op. 137 ; Conclusion : To be a Prokofiev pianist.