Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)#Movement II

From 1925 onward, Prokofiev’s status as a composer grew, with his 1942 Piano Sonata No. 7 receiving the Stalin Prize (Second Class). Prior to composing his Fifth Symphony, Prokofiev relocated to Moscow as a result of his increasing reliance on financial support from the Soviet Union and their threat of revoking their contributions.{{Cite web|date=2017-10-16|title= Music At War: A Guide to Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5|url=https://houstonsymphony.org/music-war-guide-prokofievs-symphony-no-5/|access-date=2024-03-06|website=Houston Symphony|language=en-US}}

The creation of the Fifth Symphony can be traced to musical ideas explored during the composition of Prokofiev's earlier work, particularly the Symphony No. 4 in C major composed fourteen years prior.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-20|title=Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5|url=https://utahsymphony.org/explore/2019/08/prokofiev-symphony-no-5/|access-date=2021-06-30|website=Utah Symphony|language=en-US}} Prokofiev incorporated these musical motifs into a piano score over less than a month during his stay at The Composers' House in Ivanovo, under the background of the Soviet Union’s involvement in World War II.

He gave out in a statement at the time of the work's premiere that he intended it as "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit."Schwarz, Music and Musical Life in Soviet Russia, p.196, cited in Preston Stedman, The Symphony, p.290 He added, "I cannot say that I deliberately chose this theme. It was born in me and clamoured for expression. The music matured within me. It filled my soul." {{cite book | last = Prokofiev | first = Sergey | title = Autobiography, Articles, Reminiscences |pages=134–135| publisher = University Press of the Pacific | location = Honolulu, Ha | year = 1960 | isbn = 9780898751499 }}

{{external media

| topic = Performed by the Berlin Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa

| audio1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj92lGMy--0 I. Andante]

| audio2 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSgVp_TgEvU II. Allegro marcato]

| audio3 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyan2hdgY1Y III. Adagio]

| audio4 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-w8YN0Df1o IV. Allegro giocoso]

}}

The piece is in four movements, lasting 40–45 minutes:

1. Andante (in B-flat major)
2. Allegro marcato (in D minor)
3. Adagio (in F major)
4. Allegro giocoso (in B-flat major){{cite web |title=Symphony No.5, Op.100 (Prokofiev, Sergey) |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.5%2C_Op.100_(Prokofiev%2C_Sergey) |website=IMSLP |access-date=November 9, 2024}}

The first movement is in a tightly argued sonata form: its exposition presents two themes, one calm and sustained, the other soaring with tremolo accompaniment from strings, which are then involved in an elaborate and climactic development section. The movement is wrapped up with an electrifying coda punctuated by a roaring tam-tam and low piano tremolos.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

;1st theme, mm. 1–7

:

\relative c' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key bes \major \tempo "Andante" 4 = 48 f4(\p^"Flute/Bassoon" g a8. f16 | c'8. bes16 f'4 bes | d,8. ees16 f4.) g8( | f ees d c bes c | ees4 d4.) bes8( | c[ ees d] bes'4 g8) | g8.( a16 f2~ | f4) }

;mm. 8–10

:

\relative c' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key bes \major \tempo 4 = 48 << { \times 2/3 {g'8(^"Clarinet"\p ees' d} c2) } \\ { s4 r8. 16_"Horns" 4-> } >> }

;mm. 29–30

:

\relative c { \clef bass \time 4/4 \key bes \major \tempo 4 = 48 f,\mp bes8( d) cis\< g'4( a8)\! | bes( a) e-- a16-- g-- f8.\> d16 bes4\! }

;2nd theme, mm. 54–64

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key bes \major \tempo "Poco più mosso" c2.(\p^"Flute/Oboe"_"dolce" bes8 a | c4) e( d cis | c8. bes16 a4~ a8) g( f e | \key c \major dis2) e4( fis | gis--) gis-- gis-- fis-- | a8.( cis16 b2 a4) | cis-- cis-- cis--( b8 a | gis fis fisis gis dis' cis fis,4~ | fis8.) g16\mp gis2(_"cresc." a4) | a8.--\mf_"cresc." ais16-- b2-- b8.( c16 | c,2.\f) }

;mm. 74–77

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key c \major \tempo "Tempo I" e'2~->(\ff e8. d16--) c8.( f16--) | c8. d16 c4~( c8. d16--) c8.( bes16--) | a8.->( bes16--) c8.->( des16--) d8.->( e16--) f8.->( g16--) | f8.->( g16) a4 f c }

;Closing theme, mm. 83–86

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key c \major r4 b'8.(\f_"animato" gis16) a( f') b,-. b-. b-. b-. b-- des-- | gis,( b) f-. a-. c,2.->~ | c4 r16 b'( aes des) a( f') b,-. b-. b( des) aes-. b-. | f( a) c,-. c-. c2._>~ | c4 }

The second movement is an insistent scherzo in Prokofiev's typical toccata mode, framing a central theme in triple time.

;mm. 3–10

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key d \minor \tempo "Allegro marcato" 4 = 132 r8 bes(^"Clarinet"\mp a gis bes a d a | e' a,-- cis-- e-- a2->) | r8 a(\< aes g c4--) a--\! | f8.->(\f c16) c8-. c-. c-. c-. c-. c16^"Oboe/Viola"( d | b4-> bes16)[ r bes( c] a4->) aes-- | g8.->( c,16) c8-.\> c-. c-. c-. c-. c-.\! | \clef bass c(->\mf^"Cello"[ des)] bes(\>->[ c)] aes->([ bes)] g(-.[ aes->)\!] | f\mp-> }

;mm. 56–58

;

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key d \minor \tempo 4 = 132 bes\p->~(^"Violin (con sord.)" bes16 c bes a) d4->~( d16 c bes a) | gis4->~( gis16 c bes a) d( c bes a) d( c bes a) | bes( ees,) g g bes2.-> }

;mm. 112–115

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key d \major \tempo "Meno mosso" a'4->\f~(^"Oboe/Clarinet" a16 g fis e d4->~ d16 e f g | a8 d) gis,-- eis-- eis->~( \times 2/3 {eis16 fis g} fis4) | fis->~( fis16 e d cis c2~ | c4.)\> a8--\! d2->\mf }

;mm. 120–127

:

\relative c' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key d \major \tempo "Più mosso (un poco più animato ch'el tempo I)" 4 = 132 a2.->\p^"Clarinet/Viola"(~ | a8 b a fis g gis | a gis a4) d,-- | e4.-- g4( fis8 | a2.) | c2-- \times 2/3 {c8( b bes} | a2.->) }

;mm. 154–157

:

{ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key d \major \tempo 4 = 132 a'8(\p^"Piano" d16 fis a8) a a a | a( gis,) gis g g fis | \key c \major fis(\p f16 des aes8 f) f f | f( aes') aes f, f f' | f4 }

\new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \key d \major \time 3/4 a,8( d16 fis a8) a a a | a( bes) bes b b c | \key c \major c( des16 aes f8 des8) des des | des( des') des des, des a' | f4 } >> }

The third movement is a dreamy slow movement, full of nostalgia, which nevertheless builds up to a tortured climax before receding to a quiet end.

;mm. 4–8

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key f \major \tempo "Adagio" 4 = 60 f\p(_"espress." e) f8( e | d c d b c4~ | \time 4/4 c8] f([ a c] e a b, g' | \time 3/4 bes,4-- f'-- a,--~ | a8) }

;mm. 55–62

:

\relative c { \clef bass \time 3/4 \key c \major \tempo 4 = 60 c,4.->\f ais8 c b | e c'( b) g' e( e') | d c16 a e'8 a,4 b16( g) | b4 \clef treble b'4. b8 | ais8.-> fis16 g8.-> e16 fis8.-> b16 | ais8.-> fis16 g8.-> e16 fis8.-> bis16 | cis8.->\dim gis16 a8.-> fis16 g8.-> e16 | fis4\mf }

;mm. 82–84

:

\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key c \minor \tempo "a tempo" 4 = 60 \partial 8*2 g8.--\p fis16 | g4( c,) d\trill( | ees8.--) d16-- f4( ees) | g,8.( c16 f4) d-- | ees-- }

;"tortured climax" mm. 125–131

:

{ \new PianoStaff <<

\new Staff \relative c' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \key fis \minor \tempo 4 = 60 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 | 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 | 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 8.-> 16 | \time 9/8 \key a \minor c'8.->(\ff[ bes16)] aes64([ g f ees d c b aes)] g4-> fis8-> f4.-> | c''8.->(\ff[ bes16)] aes64([ g f ees d c b aes)] g4-> fis8-> f4.-> }

The finale starts with a cello choir playing a slow introduction recalling the first theme of the first movement, which then launches into the movement proper, a rondo. The playful ("giocoso") main theme is contrasted with two calmer episodes, one introduced by the flute, the other a chorale in the strings. Just as the movement is striving to end with a victorious tone, the music degenerates into a frenzy (rehearsal mark 111), which is stripped down to a string quartet playing staccato "wrong notes" (rehearsal mark 113) with rude interjections from low trumpets, making the ultimate orchestral unison on B-flat sound all the more ironic.

The work is scored for the following:

The symphony was premiered on January 13, 1945, in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Prokofiev himself.{{cite web |title=Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5 Reflects Drama of World War II |url=https://evanstonsymphony.org/content/prokofiev-s-symphony-no-5-reflects-drama-world-war-ii |website=Evanston Symphony Orchestra |accessdate=August 19, 2019 |language=en |date=13 October 2014}}

{{unsourced section|date=May 2024}}

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• {{IMSLP|work=Symphony No.5, Op.100 (Prokofiev, Sergey)|cname=Symphony No. 5 (Prokofiev)}}