Irony and the First Movement of Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata in F Minor (Op. 80)

Abstract

The article aims to disclose the various contexts of irony manifestation in S. Prokofiev's work using his Sonata for Violin and Piano (in F minor, Op. 80, first movement) as an example. The research methods employed include analysis, comparison, synthesis, and surveying. As a result of studying this topic, the key mechanisms of transmitting ironic symbols and the degree of their perception in the academic educational environment were revealed: complex tonal plan and 12-tone tonality of the 20th century (82%); polytonality, synthesizing contrastive texture layers in terms of stable tones; heterogeneity and variability of meter, tempo (90%); transformation of classical musical form (68%). The conclusion of the study is the interpretation of musical irony as a complex artistic phenomenon, within which a collision of tradition and innovation occurs, as well as the establishment of the leading principles of Prokofiev's neoclassicism, contributing to decoding the intersections between music, irony, and social context that characterize his works. Its practical significance lies in the demand for research materials in the concert-performing environment, musical pedagogy, whose efforts are aimed at expressively demonstrating various aspects of irony in the works of composers from different schools, stylistic directions, and periods.