Prokofiev's early solo piano music.

This thesis concerns issues of context, influence, form and performance in Serge Prokofiev's early solo piano music and addresses the role of tradition and innovation in the composer's work. Chapter One focuses on the evolution of Prokofiev's style, looking at his search for originality, the discovery of his mature style, and his subsequent aspirations towards simplicity. Chapter Two evaluates the principal influences on Prokofiev and his piano music, including Stravinsky, Debussy and especially Beethoven. Chapter Three assesses Prokofiev's formal processes in his early piano sonatas, discovering how his works were both rooted in and deviated from sonata form tradition. Chapter Four looks at Prokofiev's education and career as a pianist, as well as his interpretations of his own compositions, in order to form a view on how to approach the performance of his works. The chapter finishes with a discussion of recordings of the Visions fugitives, tracing the progression of Prokofiev interpretation from pianists active during his lifetime through to contemporary performers.