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 Sergei Prokofiev’s Andante, Op. 29bis is his own orchestration of the slow movement from Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29, completed in 1934. The arrangement was first heard on February 13, 1958, in Leningrad under Gennady Rozhdestvensky, effectively bringing the movement full circle from its piano origins back into the orchestral realm. Prokofiev’s orchestration emphasizes the melodic line through careful balancing of instrumental colors, allowing the principal theme to emerge over softly sustained harmonies without heavy orchestral weight.

The Andante unfolds over a loosely ternary form, its reflective, lyrical melody underpinned by modal inflections and gentle pedal points. At an average of eight minutes, it demands from the orchestra nuanced dynamic control and seamless ensemble unity to preserve the movement’s introspective character and restrained expressivity.