Comparison Of Performance Versons Of Prokofiev Piano Sonata No.4 In C Minor

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev is one of the most important Russian composers of the twentieth century in the world.the fourth piano sonata(Op.29),which is an outstanding example of his genius of the early years of his formation as a composer.In this thesis,l will examine the application of the classical sonata form in the piano sonata no.4(Op.29).Furthermore,I will further analyze and compare two performance interpretations of the sonata by two titans of Russian piano performance school:Sviatoslav Richter and Yevgeny Kissin.Especially,my comparison premise will be reflecting the aesthetic understanding of this sonata by two generations of Russian pianists from the same school of performance,and contrast with one Finland pianist who has a piano education background at Russian.In the conclusion,I will compare all interpretations with Prokofiev’s own performance version.Major interest in this topic and the angle of the research purposes to create a better understanding of Prokofiev’s Fourth Piano Sonata,as this masterpiece has been neglected by many great pianists over a long period of time due to its dark and obscure character.I want to find historical,theoretical and pure artistic reasons beyond intuitive ones for this sonata to be deemed as a masterpiece of a sonata form.I want to provide readers with a new fresh perspective on the deeper understanding of the contents and means of expression of this sonata.