Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26

I. Andante, Allegro: A clarinet sings a quiet, folk-like tune before the piano crashes in with a much faster, driving idea; the movement keeps swinging between lyrical calm and headlong energy, ending in a sprint.

II. Tema con variazioni: An elegant little theme, introduced by the orchestra alone, then passes through five variations that range from delicate and playful to stormy and percussive, showing off the piano in constantly changing colors.

III. Allegro ma non troppo: A bassoon and pizzicato (plucked) strings launch a bouncy, almost sarcastic tune, interrupted by a broad, romantic melody in the middle before the opening material returns transformed, building to a brilliant, hard-driving close. Throughout, listen for Prokofiev's mix of sweetness and steel: melodies that could come from a fairy tale sit right next to jagged rhythms and glittering, almost mechanical piano writing. The finale's return of earlier material, now bigger and faster, is the moment the piece has been building toward.

Prokofiev sketched ideas for this concerto over several years while working on other pieces, finally assembling and completing it in 1921 at a quiet retreat in Brittany, France. He was the soloist at its premiere with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra later that year, a city where his opera "The Love for Three Oranges" was also being prepared. The concerto's blend of lyricism and brilliant, athletic piano writing quickly won it a place in the repertoire, and it became the most frequently performed of his five piano concertos. It has since attracted many of the leading pianists of each generation and remains a benchmark work for virtuosos pairing technical fire with melodic warmth.