MUSIC OF THE BALLET ON PIANO: "ROMEO AND JULIET" BY SERGEY PROKOFIEV IN THE AUTHOR'S TRANSCRIPTION

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the study and reflection on the transcriptional features of the author's piano version of the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergey Sergeevich Prokofiev (1891-1953). The field of orchestral transcriptions is a special area of creativity for pianists – both performers and authors of transcriptions. The mask and the living human face, the "theater of representation" and the "theater of experience", the theatrical pathos and lyrical confession, sarcasm and philosophical reflection – the essence of the intense antithesis of many of Prokofiev's compositions. Based on the analysis of the cycle’s pieces, the authors conclude that the transcriptions of the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" are a close approximation to the original arrangement and demonstrate a traditional technique of textural transformations based on prevailing methods of adaptation and reduction. The variety of orchestral timbres is reflected in the piano part through carefully written articulations, dynamic nuances, the use of characteristic intonations, and sound-imagery techniques. The texture of the transcriptions is very pianistic and provides a vivid representation of Prokofiev’s individual style as a pianist.

Keywords

• piano transcription
• ballet
• orchestral texture
• performance practice
• musical dramaturgy
• pianistic technique