Violin excerpt · Audition repertoire
Prokofiev, Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 ("Classical")
I. Allegro
Classical elegance at a modern tempo, with wide leaps and sudden register changes that make it far harder than it sounds.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Violin
- Composer
- Sergei Prokofiev
- Work
- Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 ("Classical")
- Movement
- I. Allegro
- Era
- Modern (c. 1910–1950)
- Composed
- 1917
- Tempo
- Allegro
- Clef
- Treble clef
- Level
- Audition, professional standard
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
Light and articulate throughout, the style is Haydn seen through 1917, so the stroke stays classical even where the intervals do not.
Where it goes wrong
The large leaps are the whole difficulty. Practise them as shifts with a guide finger rather than as jumps.
Style
Wit rather than weight. Playing it seriously is a misreading.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's violin curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded violin playback throughout.