All artwork by Alex Sopp
The idea to re-imagine Sergei Prokofiev’s sonatas for chamber orchestra did not begin as a grand concept. It began as a relationship. For more than three decades, violinist Steven Copes and pianist-composer Stephen Prutsman have shared a musical language. Over the years, that language evolved — through concertos, collaborations, artistic partnerships, and countless conversations. And a shared relationship with a particularly special orchestra.
Not rewritten. Re-imagined.
This recording is as much about the orchestra itself as it is about Prokofiev.
“We call it player-led,” Copes explains. “There’s no one waving their hands. Everyone has to know more — not just their part, but everyone else’s.” That culture of collective responsibility shapes the sound from the first note.
SINGLE: Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 “Stalingrad”
Composed in 1942, during the height of World War II, Prokofiev’s Seventh Piano Sonata is music of volatility and propulsion — one of the three so-called “War Sonatas.” In its original form, the piano must generate every layer of sound. The new orchestration allows those layers to separate and breathe.
Album Information
Title: Prokofiev Re-Imagined
Artists
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Steven Copes, Solo Violin and Leader
Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 “Stalingrad”
Allegro inquieto 8:26
Andante caloroso 6:40
Precipitato 4:07
Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Minor, Op. 80 - Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Andante assai 6:08
Allegro brusco 6:37
Andante 6:59
Allegrissimo — Andante assai, come prima 7:00
Orchestrations by Stephen Prutsman (b. 1960)
All Prokofiev-Reimagined Artwork by Alex Sopp
