The piece is in four movements, lasting 40–45 minutes:
I. Andante 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. ;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 16_"Horns" 4-> } >> } ;mm. 29–30 : \relative c { \clef bass \time 4/4 \key bes \major \tempo 4 = 48 f,\mp bes8( d) cis\ 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 }
II. Allegro marcato 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(\(\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 > }
III. Adagio 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 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.-> } \new Staff \relative c { \clef bass \time 3/4 \key fis \minor 8. 16 8. 16 8. 16 | 8. 16 8. 16 8. 16 | 8. 16 8. 16 8. 16 | \time 9/8 \key a \minor f, bes d | aes8 c cis d b fis eis b' cis } \\ { aes,4. b cis | aes4. b cis } >> } >> }
IV. Allegro giocoso The finale starts with a brief introduction consisting of a fragmented melody in the woodwinds, followed by a cello choir recalling the first theme of the first movement. This is interrupted by the violas, launching 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 solo strings playing
staccato "wrong notes" (rehearsal mark 113) with rude interjections from low trumpets, making the ultimate orchestral unison on B sound all the more ironic. ;mm. 3–6 : \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \key bes \major \tempo "Allegro giocoso" 2 = 72 \partial 4*1 f'(\p a, bes2~ bes8) cis( | d4 e, f bes) | bes,4.( ees8 b2 | c1) } ;Theme from first movement, mm. 15–22 : { \new PianoStaff > f4 | g(\ d,4\! | d4.(\mp e8 c1\> | c1.\!\fermata\p } \new Staff \relative c { \clef bass \time 3/2 \key bes \major 2 fis4.( e8--) | 4.( 8) 4.( 8) 4.( 8) | c2.. gis8( a2) | aes4 ges( e) d( c) d | 4.( 8) 2. 4 | ( ) aes'2 f,4 | 4.( 8 2( ) | g1.\fermata } \\ { c,,1 2 | c,1. | d'4.( des8) c1~ | c2 cis4 g( aes) g | s1 c,2->~ | c1 b2 | c1 s2 | d'2( e1)\fermata } >> } >> } ;mm. 29–36 : \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \key bes \major \tempo "Tempo I" 2 = 72 \partial 8*1 f8\p(^"Clarinet" bes,4.-- c8-- d4.-- a'8-- | bes2.--) a16( g f g | a4.) bes16( c bes4.) d,8 | d2..-> e16( fis | g4.-> fis16 e d cis b a g8)[ r16 ges-.] | ges8-> aes'2.-- ges,8( | f4.-- ees8-- f'4.--) c16( ees | d8) bes'2.-- } ;mm. 37–38 : \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \key bes \major \tempo 2 = 72 \partial 8*1 d'16( f) | e,->[ e-. e-. e-.] e-.[ e-. f-. e-.] ees-.[ d-. des-. c-.] ces-.[ bes-. a-. cis-.] | aes,2.. } ;mm. 54–55 : \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \key c \major \tempo 2 = 72 \partial 4*1 aes16( bes b g | c8) g'16 g g8-. c-. b-. fis-. fis-. g-. | dis-. dis-. dis-. e-. c4-> } ;mm. 83–90 : \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \key f \major \tempo 2 = 72 \partial 2*1 f'4.(^"Flute"\p e8 | f4 a,2.) | f'4( c,2 a'4) | a2.( c4 | a8 g e g a2) | a4(^"Clarinet" e2) e8.( a16 | e4 c2) c8.( f16 | c8 d, g bes cis4. d8 | \times 2/3 {g a g} g2) } ;mm. 164–172 : \relative c { \clef bass \time 2/2 \key des \major \tempo 2 = 72 r4 f(\pp ees) aes, | des( ees) f2~ | f4 ges aes2 | f' ees4( c) | des f8-- des-- c4( aes) | bes2 f4( ges) | aes2 ees4( f) | ges bes8 ges f4( ees) | aes bes c2 } ==Instrumentation==