Key D major Genre Sonata Composed 1947 (1947) | Catalogue Opus 115 Style Neoclassical Published 1952 (1952) | |
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The Sonata for Solo Violin in D major, Opus 115, is a three-movement work for unaccompanied violin composed by Sergei Prokofiev in 1947. It was commissioned by the Soviet Union's Committee of Arts Affairs as a pedagogical work for talented violin students. It is therefore a non-virtuosic piece, and was originally designed to be played not by one soloist but by multiple young performers in unison. It was not performed until 1959 - after Prokofiev's death - by Ruggerio Ricci at the Moscow Conservatory.
Structure and Analysis
The three movements of the sonata are as follows:
- Moderato
- Andante dolce. Tema con variazioni
- Con brio. Allegro precipitato
The work is composed in Classical style and its melodies are largely diatonic. The first movement is in sonata form, the second movement is a theme with five variations, and the third movement has characteristics of a mazurka.