Sergei Prokofiev (1902-1979): Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 16
Sergei Prokofiev (1902-1979): Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26
Sergei Prokofiev (1902-1979): Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83

I can very happily listen to any of the Prokofiev Concertos, for Piano, Cello or Violin, but I must admit to having a particularly soft spot for the 2nd Piano Concerto. It displays many of the features I enjoy across the whole of his oeuvre. The oscillation between achingly beautiful tunes, energetic and thrilling faster passages, often requiring great dexterity from the soloist and groupings involved, and the tart 20th century harmonic and orchestral textures, sometimes with an explicit element of the grotesque that permeate this master of the conventional classical forms.

Add to this the interesting forces employed in this release, Canadian Stewart Goodyear is a composer himself, and this release was the first since his mother passed away. One can assume (and he says in the booklet) that this release has a special personal significance for him. He has become known particularly for his Beethoven performances (concertos and sonatas) as well as a range of modern composers. He is a very capable soloist with an emphasis on precision and the percussive elements of this composer, which suits the concerto works, both written in the younger enfant terrible section of the composer's life. The BBC Orchestra and conductor (an accomplished pianist himself) Andrew Litton are both experienced and excellent accompanists in the concertos. Recording is a good clear modern one, excellent balance between soloist and orchestra, with many fine orchestral details emerging clear as day. I kind of expect that in modern recordings, but given the crystalline nature of much of the music, a clear recording offers even more benefits.

The progression in this release is fascinating, starting with two youthful concertos, one dark, the other predominantly bright, and then followed by a darkly complex later work that reflects both the world war situation, and the horrors of living under dictator Stalin.

I have always found the opening of the second concerto to be a good indication of the approach of the soloist and orchestra, the soloist starts with a pensive short tune and the orchestra slides the accompaniment slowly upwards in a phrase with great emotional effort. For me this is an opening that should give the listener goosepimples, such is the unexpected nature of the simple progression. It is managed very well here, and merges into the following Allegretto almost seamlessly. Add to that a fast and exciting short Scherzo and the whole concerto is set up for success. For me it is a dark delight from start to finish. While not the most recorded of the piano concertos, there are a lot of other performances available, as with all the pieces in this release. For example, I have enjoyed that of Freddy Kempf's similarly coupled release (Piano Sonata No.2 instead of the 7th as here, more tempo variations), Yuja Wang (great virtuosity), and several of the great Russian pianists like Ashkenazy, Petrov, Anna Vinnitskaya (very different approach, more expressive, less percussive)) and many others. But none have made me at all dissatisfied with this performance. Its darkness comes out well here, in contrast to the much brighter and better known third concerto.

The Third concerto is performed with aplomb, employing many of the same skills and focus as that of the Second. With its beautifully expressive clarinet opening, with a winding string tune it very quickly bounces into the first fast section for soloist and orchestra, played fast here but with clarity. What struck me in this performance is how well Goodyear brings out the dance elements that permeate this work as it permeates a lot of his creations, I am often reminded of the ballet when listening to parts of his concertos and symphonies. Amidst the often incredible solo brilliance, I am pleased to hear the melodic richness and sweetness still emerge, as they are both so much a part of the composer. It is remarked in the accompanying booklet that Sviatoslav Richter said that "I was never particularly close with Prokofiev the man. For me he was all in his works... Acquaintances with his compositions were acquaintances with Prokofiev himself." It's an interesting insight, and we see in these works a person of intelligence, acerbic wit, sentimental longing and an evident and yet detached, emotional depth. These emerge in this recording.

The 7th sonata is one of the great War Trilogy of sonatas and was written several decades after the concertos. It is a work of stunning sagacity, and yet does not offer so many of the more obvious brilliance of the concertos. Its three movements reflect the composer's state of mind, the first a curiously adrift mood of dislocation, the second a thoughtful more questioning emotional reflection and the famous third movement, as good a definition of the awful relentless and unforgiving nature of war, and in particular war under Stalin as I have heard. They were dark days in the life of the composer and the society.

I have many wonderful memories of listening to Pollini's classic account of the sonata on his award-winning Deutsche Grammophon CD of Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Webern, Boulez released many decades ago. I listened to that again when reviewing this disk. Firstly, the recording is better in the current release, unavoidably the Pollini has more tape hiss, and not quite the same openness of the best modern recordings. His comparatively restrained and 'above the fray' approach balances the incredible virtuosity of this great pianist.

Some, like Matti Raekallio in a recent release, plays that astonishing final movement with breathtaking speed, others like Dinara Kinton take this a little slower, with the advantage that the lopsided syncopated rhythms keep you well off balanced for the whole piece. Goodyear errs on the slightly faster side, but his playing and the recording help to keep the individual lines clear - I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I recommend for any Prokofiev piano music, solo, chamber or orchestral that one listens to performances by Sviatoslav Richter - the great master gave the first performance of the sonata for example. The recording quality is notably variable, but I have found the performances very insightful. In Russian music, for me more than any other nationality, I have found its rewarding to hear performers of the same nationality, not exclusively, but always worth hearing.

In the booklet, Stewart Goodyear refers to Prokofiev as a young pianist's favorite, and one can see why, the mixture of great tunes, exciting rhythmic and harmonic stretches, rich and colorful orchestration. They emerge clearly and proudly in this release, an approach that favors faster speeds, impactful playing, but also space to breathe in the more inward-looking and reflective sections. Enjoyed and recommended.