Analysis Of The Piano Artistic Features Of Prokofiev’s Three Pieces Of Piano Arrangements

Prokofiev was a famous Russian composer and pianist in the20th century whose life went through three periods include: study period, expatriating period and returned period. Meanwhile, in these three periods, his works formed three different musical genres. His composing covers extensive genres include operas, ballets, dramas, film music, chorus concertos, chamber music, songs and a significant number of piano solos. Among which, some works had been rearranged by him to some transcription for piano. Some of these piano arrangments were rearranged from operas and others from ballet and film music.This thesis selects three with arrangements with distinctive features, which were rearranged from the opera The Love for Three Oranges, the ballet Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. Starts from the analysis of the history of piano arrangment, this thesis discusses the different developing state in each development phases through the changes of cultural mentality and social environment in his different stages of his music career, and gives the readers a general understanding of piano arrangments. In Chapter2, which mainly about Prokofiev, a detailed introduction is given from his career, composing to the general situation of his piano works, and then the issue of piano arrangments is raised by an overall and horizontal analysis to the transition of Prokofiev’s musical genre. Following this, the general style and characteristics of Prokofiev’s piano arrangments are organized steadily and gradually. In Chapter3, the author selects three pieces of piano arrangments that are in different styles as examples. Through rising introduction of their originals, factors, methods, making comparison between their scores and arrangements, and studying the techniques, the author makes conclusion of the different genre tendencies embodied in each arrangement and comparison among the composing styles of these arrangements from the vertical angle. Eventually, this essay takes Prokofiev’s transcription for piano as key point and elaborates the piano arrangements’influence and significance in the music transmission. Meanwhile, the author appeals to the readers for a rigorous approach to study aiming at a better promoting of the development of the piano arrangments.