This piece is meant to be a little wild—but primarily in its dynamics and character, not in its tempo. Whatever tempo the student chooses should be held with a very steady, controlled pulse, almost as if the beat were caught in a vise. The obvious exceptions are the written ritenutos at the ends of phrases and sections, where Prokofiev clearly asks for some flexibility.

Many leading performers take the piece at a more aggressive, edgy speed (see my links for evidence!) but I find that quarter note = 90–100 already provides plenty of drive, menace, and impact. At that tempo, the student has a better chance of preserving the clarity of the texture and the precision of the articulations without sacrificing the piece’s wonderfully unhinged personality.

Overall character

This is quintessential early Prokofiev: percussive, dissonant, sharply etched, yet still faintly tonal and structurally logical. The piece is driven less by conventional tonal relationships than by recurring motives, intervallic patterns, and rhythmic cells. Because these motives return so clearly throughout the work, students should learn to recognize them as structural anchors rather than hearing the piece as a succession of unrelated dissonances.

Complex texture

The writing is dense and frequently contrapuntal, requiring a level of listening and control that we often associate with Baroque counterpoint. Individual lines, motives, and articulations need to remain distinct within a thick texture. Encourage students to practice voices or layers separately, then rebuild the texture while preserving their independence. The challenge is to make the hierarchy of the texture audible.

Not a small-hand piece

This is another definite “not a Merrily Stone Small Hand Award” candidate. Large, heavy chords and stretches that frequently exceed an octave make portions of the piece physically awkward. Some passages can be made considerably more manageable through careful fingering choices and thoughtful hand redistribution. Teachers should feel free to explore practical solutions that preserve the musical effect without forcing an unnecessarily uncomfortable hand position.

Trust the score

Much of the piece’s wit and sophistication is already embedded in the notation. Careful observation of Prokofiev’s notation will go a long way toward producing a convincing interpretation. Articulation, accents, rests, and phrase markings should be incorporated from the earliest stages of learning rather than added during final polishing.

Use articulation to clarify character

The music changes personality rapidly, and articulation is one of the clearest clues to those shifts. Detached notes can sound biting, grotesque, or sarcastic, while slurred figures may suddenly suggest something more lyrical or beguiling. Encourage students to exaggerate these contrasts at slower tempos, then refine them as the performance speed increases.

Metronome practice

Gradual metronome work is extremely helpful in building confidence. The transitions between patterns and textures are particularly tricky and can easily produce hesitation or unwanted tempo changes. Practice through a range of slower tempos, increasing speed only when the transitions feel physically organized and rhythmically secure. The goal is an unshakable pulse underneath music that often sounds deliberately unstable.

Transitions deserve special attention 

Many of the hardest moments are not necessarily the most visually intimidating passages, but the connections between contrasting gestures. Isolate the final beat or two of one section together with the beginning of the next. Students should know exactly where the hands are moving and how the articulation changes before attempting the transition at full speed.  This is where buidling the speed with gradual tempo increase and metronome will be particularly effective (see previous note on Metronome practice)

Avoid brute-force playing

This is one of the most challenging selections on the list because of its speed, reach, density, and complexity of texture. The danger is that all of that physicality can turn the piece into sheer tour de force. The real artistic challenge is to make the music sound sophisticated, sharply characterized, and structurally coherent, rather than like a brute barbarian assault on the keyboard. Percussive does not mean crude; Prokofiev’s writing requires precision, wit, and considerable control.

Pedagogical value

For a strong student, this piece offers a formidable combination of large-chord technique, agility, rhythmic control, contrapuntal listening, articulation, and modern harmonic awareness. It is unquestionably one of the more demanding selections on the Senior B list, but for the right student it can be an excellent introduction to Prokofiev’s early musical language and to the technical discipline required to make highly dissonant music sound intentional and convincing.