Prokofiev.org - Toccata in D minor Op.11

Toccata in D minor, Op 11

Genre: Piano
Key: D minor

Composed:	1912
Premiere:	10-Dec-1916, Petrograd, Sergei Prokofiev (piano)


	Horowitz Plays Prokofiev, Barber, Kabalevsky: Sonatas Artist(s): Vladimir Horowitz (piano) Catalog Num: BMG/RCA Victor 60377 The Toccata, Op. 11 is one of Prokofiev's most brilliant solo piano works -- compact, motoric, driving, dissonant, percussive, and furiously energetic. It embodies an entire line in Prokofiev's music known as the 'Toccata Line', which began with this work and runs through the third movement of the Fifth Piano concerto. It's also one of Prokofiev's most fiendishly difficult works to pull off convincingly. My favorite recording, by a whisker, is Horowitz. The piece gives Horowitz a chance to unleash everything in his formidable piano-playing arsenal, virtuosic technique, cannon-like power, and boundless energy. It is a hair-raising performance that has been re-released on at least three separate CDs by various labels. My only quibble on this particular release on BMG/RCA Victor is Horowitz's overrated recording of the Seventh Piano Sonata (he completely misses the mark and it is a wonder to this day why so many revere it.) [Sugi Sorensen]


	Debut Recital / Martha Argerich Artist(s): Martha Argerich (piano) Catalog Num: Deutsche Grammophon 47430 Martha Argerich's Toccata comes a close second to Horowitz. Argerich was only nineteen when she recorded the work as part of her debut album on Deutsche Grammophon. The recording is dazzling. It is fiercely energetic, yet clean. She doesn't quite have the power to match Horowitz in his prime (or Gilels), thus the nod to Horowitz in this demanding, muscular work. However, the album on the whole is not to be missed. Other recordings of the Toccata deserving merit include Gilels (who starts out slower than Horowitz or Argerich, yet builds inexorably to a explosive, if somewhat unclean, ending), Marshev, and Chiu, who takes the most risks interpretively and pulls off a great addition to the Toccata's distinguished recording history. [Sugi Sorensen]	PRKF Rating:

	Debut Recital / Martha Argerich Composer(s): Frédéric Chopin, Johannes Brahms, et al. Artist(s): Martha Argerich (piano) Catalog Num: Deutsche Grammophon 47430 Release Date: February 20, 1995	PRKF Rating:

	Prokofiev: Piano Works Volume V Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Frederic Chiu (Piano) Catalog Num: Harmonia Mundi 907169 Release Date: March 12, 1996	PRKF Rating:

	Great Composers at the Keyboard / Prokofieff, Casella, et al Composer(s): Modest Mussorgsky, Sergei Prokofiev, et al. Artist(s): Sergei Prokofiev (piano), et al. Catalog Num: Fone (Ita) 9015 Release Date: June 21, 1993

	Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Byron Janis II Composer(s): Franz Liszt, Sergei Prokofiev, et al. Artist(s): Byron Janis (piano) Conductor: Kiril Kondrashin, et al. Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, et al. Catalog Num: Philips 456850 Release Date: July 20, 1999

	Great Pianists of the 20th Century - Samson François Composer(s): Frédéric Chopin, Johann Sebastian Bach, et al. Artist(s): Samson Francois (piano) Catalog Num: Philips 456778 Release Date: May 11, 1999

	Gyorgy Sandor plays Prokofiev - Complete Piano Music Vol 2 Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Gyorgy Sandor (piano) Catalog Num: Vox Allegretto 5514 Release Date: January 20, 1994

	Horowitz Plays Prokofiev, Barber, Kabalevsky: Sonatas Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev, Samuel Barber, et al. Artist(s): Vladimir Horowitz (piano) Catalog Num: BMG/RCA Victor 60377 Release Date: September 11, 1990

	Kempf: Prokofiev Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Freddy Kempf (piano) Catalog Num: Bis 1260 Release Date: June 30, 2003

	Liszt, Prokofiev: Piano Works / Lazar Berman Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Liszt Artist(s): Lazar Berman (Piano) Conductor: Andras Korodi Orchestra/Ensemble: Hungarian State Orchestra Catalog Num: Hungaroton/White Label 31685 Release Date: July 22, 1997

	Martha Argerich Collection Composer(s): Bach, Bartok, Beethoven, Brahms, et al. Artist(s): Martha Argerich (piano), et al. Catalog Num: Deutsche Grammophon 453566 Release Date: March 14, 1997

	Martha Argerich Collection: Vol. 3 - Solo Works & Works for Piano Duo Composer(s): Barok, Brahms, Liszt, Prokofiev, et al. Artist(s): Martha Argerich (piano), et al. Catalog Num: Deutsche Grammophon 453576 Release Date: March 14, 1997

	Milan Langer: Barber, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok Composer(s): Samuel Barber, Bela Bartok, Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky Artist(s): Milan Langer (piano) Catalog Num: Panton 81 0747-1 131 G Release Date: 1988

	Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Prokofiev /Demidenko Composer(s): Modest Mussorgsky Artist(s): Nikolai Demidenko (piano) Catalog Num: Hyperion 67018 Release Date: 3/10/98

	Oleg Marshev plays Sergei Prokofiev Vol 5 Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Oleg Marshev (piano) Catalog Num: Danacord 395 Release Date: 3/1/96

	Prokofiev plays Prokofiev Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev, Modest Mussorgsky, et al. Artist(s): Sergei Prokofiev (piano) Catalog Num: Laserlight 14203 Release Date: June 30, 1995

	Prokofiev, Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Janis, Kondrashin Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev, Sergei Rachmaninov, et al. Artist(s): Byron Janis (piano) Conductor: Kiril Kondrashin Orchestra/Ensemble: Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra Catalog Num: Philips 434 333-2 Release Date: February 15, 1994

	Prokofiev: Complete Music for Solo Piano. Violin Sonatas Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Frederic Chiu (piano), Pierre Amoyal (violin) Catalog Num: Harmonia Mundi HMX 2907301.10 Release Date: August 14, 2001

	Prokofiev: Complete Piano Music Vol 9 / Boris Berman Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Boris Berman (piano) Catalog Num: Chandos 9361 Release Date: May 30, 1995

	Prokofiev: Complete Piano Sonatas / Nissman Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Barbara Nissman (piano) Catalog Num: Pierian P0007-9 Release Date: February 26, 2002

	Prokofiev: Early Piano Works / Vodenicharov Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Boyan Vodenicharov (piano) Catalog Num: Etcertera KTC 1122 Release Date: 1991

	Prokofiev: Piano Music Vol 1 / Eteri Andjaparidze Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Eteri Andjaparidze (piano) Catalog Num: Naxos 8553429 Release Date: April 22, 1997

	Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas, Vol 3: Barbara Nissman Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Barbara Nissman (piano) Catalog Num: Newport Classics NCD 60094 Release Date: 1989

	Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Sarcasms, etc / Matti Raekallio Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Matti Raekallio (piano) Catalog Num: Ondine ODE 898-2 Release Date: 10/1/99

	Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto no 3; Prokofiev, etc / Horowitz Composer(s): Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Prokofiev, et al. Artist(s): Vladimir Horowitz Conductor: Vladimir Horowitz Orchestra/Ensemble: London Philharmonic Orchestra Catalog Num: Magic Talent 48066 Release Date: November 11, 1997

	Schumann, Scarlatti, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev / Gilels Composer(s): Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach, et al. Artist(s): Emil Gilels (piano) Catalog Num: BBC Legends 4015 Release Date: May 18, 1999

	Serge Prokofiev 50th Anniversary Edition: Volume 4 - Instrumental & Chamber Music Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev Artist(s): Vadim Repin (violin), Boris Berezovsky (piano), Anton Barakhovsky (violin), Jean-Pierre Rampal (flute), etc. Orchestra/Ensemble: Berlin Soloists, Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra Catalog Num: Warner Classics 0927 49637-2 Release Date: February 14, 2003

	Sergei Prokofiev - Pianist Composer(s): Sergei Prokofiev, Nikolai Miaskovsky, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov Artist(s): Sergei Prokofiev (piano) Conductor: Pierro Coppola Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Catalog Num: Melodiya M10-39515

	Shostakovich: Piano Preludes Op 34, etc / Elena Rozanova Composer(s): Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel Artist(s): Elena Rozanova (piano) Catalog Num: Harmonia Mundi HMN 911757 Release Date: January 8, 2002

	The #1 Piano Album Composer(s): Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Franz Schubert, et al. Artist(s): Martha Argerich (piano), et al. Catalog Num: Decca 472589 Release Date: November 12, 2002

	The Piano Library - Horowitz - 20th Century Music Composer(s): Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Prokofiev, et al. Artist(s): Vladimir Horowitz (piano) Conductor: Albert Coates Orchestra/Ensemble: London Symphony Orchestra Catalog Num: The Piano Library 198 Release Date: 4/1/96

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