ALEXANDER TORADZE MASTERCLASS Prokofiev Piano Sonata n°7 in Bb Major, Op 83 ii Andante caloroso
The subject of this Alexander Toradze Masterclass is the slow movement of the Prokofiev 7th Piano Sonata. This is my favorite of the Prokofiev sonatas, but the Andante caloroso can be maudlin if not properly understood by a pianist, and over interpreted.
Toradze, another of the master pianists produced by the inexhaustible Russian school of pianism, works with an advanced student to bring forth the essence and meaning of Prokofiev's music. You will find this a recurring theme in my comments, that in the work of the great composers, almost everything is written into the music. It just has to be found.
In the finest performances, interpretation is a misnomer. The great pianist, much like a parent, walks a fine line between giving life and guidance to the music and staying out of its way so that it may become what it was meant to be. An unsuccessful performance is one in which the pianist introduces elements that are contraindicated by the score, or the meaning of the score.
You will note in all these masterclasses the teachers' efforts, albeit by different means, to achieve this very end.
Aleander Toradze Masterclass Prokofiev Piano Sonata n°7 in Bb Major, Op 83 ii Andante caloroso
Part I
Part II
Here is my new book, a murder mystery with a musical polemic
