Piano Concerto No. 3 (Kabalevsky)
The Piano Concerto No. 3 in D major,
The piece has three movements:
- I. Allegro molto
- II. Andante con moto
- III. Presto
The opening movement begins with a dramatic trumpet fanfare, followed by swirling piano writing that has a touch of the great piano concertos of
The second movement begins in G minor in a far more austere style, using pizzicato string notes over which a melody is played in octaves on the piano. There is a shimmering central section at a faster tempo that moves through various major keys before the opening minor theme is restated, but this time with a forte from the full orchestra. The opening quiet atmosphere eventually returns at the end of this movement.
The final movement starts at breakneck speed, which is only briefly interrupted in the middle by a little march. Just before the end a sweeping romantic melody first heard in the first movement is played at full volume before the concerto ends with a prestissimo coda.
The work shares themes in common with Kabalevsky's Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, op.75, on the theme of the song "School Years".