General Overview

Prokofiev composed Sarcasms around 1912-1914, when he was in his early twenties. This was the period when he graduated from the composition department of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in 1911 and emerged as one of the rising young composers in the Imperial Russian music scene. The title Sarcasms means "insinuation" or "mockery." As the title suggests, all five pieces in the collection feature avant-garde and grotesque sounds and structures that challenge the conventions and traditions of piano music. The composer himself vividly described the public's consternation caused by these characteristics in a letter to his friend Myaskovsky dated May 29, 1915: "People are holding their heads. Some to cover their ears, others to express their admiration, and still others to pity the once highly anticipated, now miserable composer."

Piece 1: Tempestoso

Composed in 1912. The short introduction is striking, with the tritone, historically known as the "devil's interval," resounding thunderously. What follows, beginning with a dramatic descending leap, is a theme that is harmonically dissonant, rhythmically irregular, fragmented, rough, and develops freely in all directions.

The middle section clearly contrasts with the opening. It is based on ascending scalar stepwise motion, and in terms of rhythm and harmony, one can perceive a breadth, depth, and emotion not present in the opening.

Piece 2: Allegro rubato

Composed in 1913. The fluctuating tempo indicated by "rubato" and the crisp alternation between chords and arpeggios recall an improvisatory cadenza in a concerto. Looking at the score, the harmonies with parallel fifths evoke Impressionism, and some point out similarities in the approach to harmonic language with Scriabin. However, besides the instruction "without pedal," when one actually hears the sound, it seems constructed to emphasize cross-relations and the clash of dissonant intervals, intentionally creating an awkwardness.

Piece 3: Allegro precipitato

Composed in 1913. According to the five "lines" he later described for his own works, this style would be classified under the "motoric" line, based on the exploration of language to express strong emotions. While a persistent accompaniment of eighth notes is struck, a chromatic staccato melody is played. A characteristic feature is the use of so-called polytonality, with different key signatures between staves.

In the middle section, which gradually builds in intensity, a flowing and expressive melody appears, as indicated by "cantabile." Some contemporaries, including the poet Balmont, found "wonderful lyricism" particularly in this section. Abruptly returning to the "motoric" character of the main section, the piece gradually slows down and comes to a halt.

Piece 4: Smanioso

Composed in 1914. The indication means "frenzied" or "raging." The fragmented and abrupt shifts in gesture in the first half, the melodic lines with wide intervallic leaps, and the busy hand changes within voices required of the pianist create a dramatic and vivid impression. The latter half of the piece is based on intense and persistent chordal repetitions, gradually quieting down while maintaining the striking sound image of the first half. After the tempo and dynamics settle, the melody from the first half is briefly recapitulated in the high register before concluding.

Piece 5: Precipitosissimo

Like the previous piece, composed in 1914. According to the composer himself, this is the only piece in the collection with an extramusical program. He wrote: "Sometimes we mock something maliciously, rudely, irresponsibly. But if we look closely, we realize how pathetic what we laughed at is, how miserable and even moving its insignificance. Then we become afraid of our own laughter. The laughter echoes in our heads, but the laughter we hear at that moment is mockery directed at us" (quoted from his diary, October 28, 1916). It begins with an introduction of intense chordal repetitions in changing meters, but then abruptly shifts to a quiet, simple, yet dissonant texture. In the coda, the opening chordal repetitions transform into an unusual form, fragmented into small sections, and the piece concludes with an eerie low bass.