# Prokofiev and his use of dissonance



## cbrunton (Nov 29, 2021)

What is a strong example of Prokofiev's use of dissonance in a composition? 

I'm producing a documentary about a Toronto musician; one of his biggest influences was Prokofiev, and especially his use of dissonance. I need to listen to some examples in order to see if we can tie a thread from that to his own compositions; to see if we can see an exact influence.

The Toronto musician, by the way, is Jeff Plewman, who performed under the stage name Nash the Slash. 

Thank you.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Welcome to Talk Classical. I have corrected your spelling of the composer's name to facilitate finding this thread via search engines.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

cbrunton said:


> What is a strong example of Prokofiev's use of dissonance in a composition?


Symphony #2/mvt I


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

There are dissonances in the first 2 movements of the 1st String Quartet and particularly in the 1st movement of the 2nd quartet.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

The first movement of the 6th piano sonata is highly dissonant from the start. The second movement of the Violin Sonata no. 1 in F minor is full of harsh dissonance.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

The documentary sounds promising. 

Coincidentally, I've just been struck by Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, a much more consonant work than Symphony #2, in terms of harmony. Much use of 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th chords in root position and inversions, but of course not at all impressionist in style. Places that used to sound dissonant I realize now are inverted tertial (3rd-based) chords.

Prokofiev's time in the USA would have exposed him to 1920's-1930's jazz. Was he a jazzer without the swing? I'm sure analyses and articles have been done.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Listen to the 6th symphony. (Which I very much like I might add) Also the second piano concerto (which I also like)


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

0:24


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Roger Knox said:


> Prokofiev's time in the USA would have exposed him to 1920's-1930's jazz. Was he a jazzer without the swing? I'm sure analyses and articles have been done.


Prokofiev probably got more jazz exposure in Paris, and I think more, and more fundamental, influence went the other way, from classical to jazz. Isn't that how extended tertian harmony got picked up wholesale by jazzers - all the Americans in Paris? The reason I say more fundamental is because when classical composers are influenced by jazz it usually sounds like borrowing superficial traits, like putting on a costume, whereas jazz composers picked up fundamental substance like harmonic language and fully integrated it into the style. Sometimes, as in Lee Morgan's _The Procrastinator_ (or Wayne Shorter's "Footsteps"), the source is acknowledged in the title, which in this case was Prokofiev (get it )

But I think you're right, Prokofiev does have the occasional bit that seems jazz influenced, even with the swing. The middle section of the slow movement of the Flute Sonata (or Violin Sonata no. 2) is the most obvious to me:


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Scythian Suite .


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## cbrunton (Nov 29, 2021)

Thanks everybody. 

The rabbit-hole of this documentary gets curiouser and curiouser. There's no money in labours-of-love, as this project is, but it's connecting to people like you, willing to share information and insight, that make these projects so interesting, and so much fun. Thanks very much for all your help. 

On another note (no pun intended) Nash always likened Beethoven to the power chords of The Who. And in a tangential reference to Prokofiev, Nash was invited to bring his (very theatrical) show to Russia.


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