Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 53 (for piano left hand)

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) Piano Concerto No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 53 (for piano left hand) Composed in 1931; premiered in 1956 in West Berlin, West Germany Performed by Yefim Bronfman (b. 1958), piano, with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta (b. 1936) Recorded July 1993 at the Frederic R. Mann Auditorium, Tel Aviv 0:00 I. Vivace 4:19 II. Andante 14:10 III. Moderato 21:35 IV. Vivace Prokofiev completed his Piano Concerto No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 53, in 1931 after being commissioned by the one-armed Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein (1887-1961). However, Wittgenstein refused to perform the piece, claiming he did not understand its modern musical language. As a result, the concerto became the black sheep of Prokofiev's concertos, remaining unperformed during the composer's lifetime, with its public premiere taking place in West Berlin in 1956, three years after Prokofiev's death.