Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 in D flat Major, Op. 10 ( Kissin)

The concerto received its premier in Moscow on August 7, 1912, with Prokofiev as the soloist. The reaction from audience and critics was resoundingly negative. The work was labeled musical mud, the work of a madman. The ugliness and outcry at the premiere brought Prokofiev instant attention. Prokofiev would continue for years afterwards to be accused of decadence and modernism, which is ironic, since a strong thread of traditionalism runs through most of his works, particularly in terms of form and overall harmonic construction. Prokofiev regarded this concerto as his first mature composition. It is a singlemovement work in sonataallegro form. As Prokofiev notes, there is an Andante inserted before the development, and the development is a Scherzo, with a final cadenza introducing the recapitulation. Although cast as a single movement, the inclusion of an Andante and Scherzo suggests that the work really has a broader symphonic dimension. The concerto contains much of Prokofiev s typi br, br,