String Quartet No. 1 (Prokofiev)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sergei Prokofiev wrote his String Quartet No. 1 in B minor (Op. 50) in 1931 as a commission from the Library of Congress.
Contents |
[edit] Analysis
The work is distinctive in that its key, B minor, is just a semitone below the limits of the viola and cello range. Another distinctive feature is that the finale is the slow movement, which is highly intense in emotion and full of sweeping melodies.
The string quartet is in three movements, lasting around 20-25 minutes:
- Allegro
- Andante molto
- Andante
Prokofiev had liked the finale so much that he transcribed a version of it for string orchestra (as Op. 50a).
