Shostakovich Piano: Concerto 2 Analysis

The Hidden Depths of Brilliance: An Analysis of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Introduction: The Enigma of Lightness

Overview

restricted intervals

One cannot analyze this concerto without addressing its use of . Throughout the work, Shostakovich favors stepwise motion (seconds) and leaps of thirds. He avoids the dramatic minor ninth or the augmented fourth as melodic drivers, using them instead as spice. This is "small-hand" music. The melodic contours are designed to fit a human hand spanning an octave, no more. shostakovich piano concerto 2 analysis