Sergei Prokofiev
(1891-1953)

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op. 19  

Composed 1917

Composed in 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution, Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 emerged during a time of political upheaval but remarkable creative energy for the composer. While much of Russia was plunged into chaos, Prokofiev spent time in the Caucasus and focused intensely on composition. That year alone, he completed several landmark works, including the “Classical” symphony, Visions fugitives, and this concerto.

Prokofiev first sketched the piece in 1915 as a short “concertino,” later expanding it into a full three-movement concerto. A premiere in Petrograd was initially planned, but the Revolution and Prokofiev’s eventual departure from Russia in 1918 delayed its debut. The concerto was finally premiered in Paris on October 18, 1923, with Marcel Darrieux as soloist and Serge Koussevitzky conducting. The reception was restrained—some critics found the music too lyrical and dreamlike for the modernist tastes of the time. Yet violinist Joseph Szigeti soon became one of the work’s earliest champions, performing it widely and helping secure its reputation.

Unusual in form, the concerto opens with a delicate solo violin melody marked sognando (dreaming), floating above muted strings and gentle orchestral shimmer. There is no traditional cadenza; instead, the music unfolds as a continuous tapestry of airy, expressive phrases. The movement ends as it began, with the return of the opening theme, now enhanced by ethereal trills.

The second movement, a vivacissimo scherzo, provides sharp contrast: virtuosic, biting, and rhythmically electric. Filled with rapid bowing, harmonics, left-hand pizzicati, and acerbic wit, it showcases Prokofiev’s flair for brilliance and irony.

The finale returns to a more measured and lyrical tone. A bassoon introduces the main theme, which the violin then transforms into flowing, song-like lines. As the movement progresses, the music rises in intensity before gently recalling the first movement’s theme, now accompanied by a haunting flute line.

Balancing modern edge with fairy-tale lyricism, Prokofiev’s first violin concerto stands as one of his most poetic and imaginative contributions to 20th-century music.

Instrumentation – two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two  trumpets, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, strings, and solo violin

Duration – 22 minutes

~ Kenneth Bean
Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg Assistant Conductor
Princeton Symphony Orchestra