Sinfonietta (Prokofiev)

The Sinfonietta in A major is a composition for orchestra by Sergei Prokofiev.

Background

Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Sinfonietta in A major, Op. 5, in 1909 and dedicated it to Nikolai Tcherepnin, his conducting professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

Prokofiev subsequently modified it twice, once in 1914 and finally in 1929, publishing the final revision as Op. 5/48. The premiere of the final revision was under Konstantin Saradzhev on 18 November 1930.

Analysis

The Sinfonietta is rather similar to the better-known Classical Symphony, being light in character, while infusing Prokofiev's typical twists of harmony. However, it is rarely performed.

Movements

The piece is in 5 movements, lasting around 25 minutes.

1. Allegro giocoso
2. Andante
3. Intermezzo: Vivace
4. Scherzo: Allegro risoluto
5. Allegro giocoso

Instrumentation

The music is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets and strings.

Recordings

Orchestra	Conductor	Record Company	Year of Recording	Format
Vienna Symphony Orchestra	Henry Swoboda	Westminster WL 50-31	1950	12-in. LP
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra	Dzhemal Daigat	Melodiya	1972	LP
Philharmonia Orchestra	Riccardo Muti	HMV	1978	LP
Scottish National Orchestra	Neeme Järvi	Chandos	1986	CD
Lausanne Chamber Orchestra	Alberto Zedda	Virgin Classics	1989	CD
Chicago Chamber Orchestra	Dieter Kober	Centaur Records	1995	CD
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra	Kirill Karabits	Onyx Records	2014	CD