Quintet (Prokofiev)
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Sergei Prokofiev's Quintet in G minor, Op. 39 is a piece of chamber music for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and double bass, written in 1924. The quintet, closely related to Prokofiev's ballet, Trapèze, contains six movements and lasts 20–25 minutes.[1]
In 1924, when Prokofiev was staying in Paris, a travelling troupe commissioned a chamber ballet from him. However, the ensemble that provided music accompaniment to the troupe only contained five members. This provided Prokofiev an opportunity to write more chamber music. His most recent chamber piece had been the Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34 (1919).
Later, Prokofiev incorporated the ballet music into two pieces: Quintet, Op. 39 (1924) and Divertissement Op. 43 (1925–29).
Movements
The quintet has six movements:
The related ballet, Trapèze, reconstructed in 2002, is in five movements:[1]
- Overture
- "Matelote"
- "The Ballerina"
- Tema con variazioni
- Andante energico
- "Dance of the Tumblers"
- "Mourning the Ballerina"
Companion pieces
- Nicholas Urie, Quintet, 2017, Commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Nicholas Urie, Quintet.
