Cello Concerto in E minor, op. 58
Modern Cello and Orchestra
In brief

The work has a dark, incisive drive, alternating energetic motifs with lyrical episodes that call for crisp, often restrained articulation rather than expansive indulgence. Technically, the Polyrhythm 2 against 3 (3.1/5) requires superimposing duple and triple groupings between soloist and orchestra, which concretely means dividing the inner pulse and using precise bow subdivision to keep displaced accents; the Nuances (2.5/5) demand fine bow control and subtle use of vibrato to shape small crescendos/decrescendos without losing line. This piece belongs to Prokofiev's modern period and holds a notable place among his concertante works, combining rhythmic drive with formal clarity.

MusicCoach difficulty
80/100
Master repertoire
Likely range : 68–92/100
Confidence : 42% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 8

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

Does this rating look right to you?

This rating is computed automatically from heterogeneous sources. It gets things wrong, sometimes badly. If you know this work, your answer is worth more than our computation: it tells us which ratings to review.

Add a note (optional)

Your note is not published on the site: it is read in review.

Relative difficulty
83%
Among Sergei Prokofiev
94%
Era Modern
Genre
Estimated skills
Rhythm
Polyrhythm 2 against 3
1
Style
Modern and contemporary style
1
Style
Character and style
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Technique
General technique
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

See the whole progression