Shostakovich- Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, op. 102
Best known to the general public as being the theme for The Steadfast Tin Solder in Disney’s Fantasia 2000, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, op. 102 was composed in 1957 soon after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953) as a gift to his 19-year old son Maxim, who also premiered the work at the Moscow Conservatory.
Unlike the concertos of the classical era, Shostakovich does not compose a struggle for primacy between the orchestra and the soloist. While not exactly symphonic in the same manner as Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, the degree of interplay between the piano and orchestra along with the absence of major thematic tension suggests a degree of equality between the two from the onset.
I. Allegro
The piece begins with a bassoon playing a brash, proud theme one that is soon augmented by the oboes and clarinets. The piano enters playing in octaves, but soon begins to repeat theme one. After a fast, rising scale (0:37) the piano begins a rendition of “What Would You Do With a Drunken Sailor” (theme two) played in such a way that it also makes it seem like a cavalry charge. Fast drags in the snare drum add to the military color of the theme. Theme one returns at 1:06 and is played twice before a cadential figure gives way to a rather tense but steadily moving theme three (1:19) in the piano over lightly chopping strings. Pizzicato strings answered by the piano calm the mood before a sudden tutti plunges the piano into a frantic passage of deep chords (2:28). Theme one returns in the winds, playing above the fray. Theme two is heard in the strings and then the piano, followed again by theme one in the winds (3:14) rises almost to a climax but then stops as the piano begins a long ascent (3:33) back into theme one. The section that follows is a mix of theme one and two motives, and builds to a dramatic climax with (4:44) the orchestra playing fortissimo in unison which ends on the cadential chord and leads into the piano cadenza.
The cadenza almost sounds like it’s straight out of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier. The pianist never gets a rest and there’s hardly any empty space. Various elements of themes one and two come and go, and at 6:03 the winds re-enter with a rather screeching version of theme one. The Drunken Sailor is replayed by the piano with the same martial-sounding accompaniment by the snare drum (6:24). The piano launches into a series of rapid scales followed by tremolos (6:36) while the winds play theme one. Theme two returns in the piano, this time complemented by the strings and accompanied by a shrill piccolo that seems to dance around the melody. The opening phrase of the movement is repeated once more by the orchestra before the movement ends on a an explosive chord.
II. Andante
The second movement changes pace entirely with a lyric, flowing melody in the strings. The mood is contemplative and somewhat wistful as slow sighs from the strings precede the piano’s entrance at 1:15 with a lullaby-like theme one played with triplet accompaniment. Theme one is reprised at 2:22, this time with the orchestral strings plucking in the background. The low strings play a countermelody beginning at 2:48 without the piano. A slow ascent from the piano in between returns to the low register marks the entrance to theme two (3:19), another simple theme in the piano with pizzicato strings. A dialogue between the piano and hushed strings (4:10) is followed by the return of theme one (4:24) with long sustained notes in the strings. After theme one is repeated, a cadence consisting of a series of descending triplets leads into theme two (5:27). The music steadily ascends and quiets to a few notes on the piano which lead (attaca- without pause) into the third movement.
III. Allegro
A brief introduction building in tempo and dynamic from the last notes of the second movement Andante quickly resolve into theme one, made of a one long/four short note motive which is repeated. This is accompanied by staccato, chopping strings, giving this movement an almost a march-like quality. The orchestra introduces theme two (based on a reversal of theme one’s main motive) at 0:57, repeated brashly by the piano who sequences the main motive of the theme up and down before ascending to the very top of the piano’s register (1:39). The orchestra begins theme two again, but is cut off with a furiously playing piano (1:42) that starts in the low register but steadily creeps upwards. This passage is taken from Charles-Louis Hanon’s Virtuoso Pianist, and is often cited as a reference to Shostakovich’s son’s practicing. After a brief interlude, theme one in minor can be heard in the piano at 2:07 and again at 2:26. A rather distraught theme two in the piano (2:38) rises but quickly falls again before a rapid piano run and a series of chords over frantically playing strings quiets (3:12), but does not lose any of its momentum. Fragments of themes one and two resolve into a triumphant piano “fanfare” theme three (3:31) answered by growling strings before tumbling into an angry, chaotic passage. Theme three motives return at 3:58 in the piano and horn along with the return of the snare drum before theme two is played by the orchestra and piano. The Hanon passage returns at 4:48, this time with slightly confusing off beats by the timpani. A shrill entrance from the upper winds plays theme one motives (5:06) before the entire orchestra joins in for the syncopated finale over a timpani crescendo.
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Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is an uncharacteristically cheerful work from an otherwise dour composer. It remains popular on the concert circuit but is much more than a crowd pleaser- it is a glimpse of Shostakovich’s true emotions so often masked by his bitter and sarcastic outlook on the Communist regime.
If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend Leonard Bernstein’s 1993 release with the New York Philharmonic and Andre Previn on Sony. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Unfortunately this recording is not in the iTunes Music Store. As an alternative, I recommend Mariss Jansons and the Berlin Philharmonic with Mikhail Rudy on the piano.
This article is part of the Music 365 series. To find out more about this project, please visit the project homepage.
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