Prokofiev - Sonata No. 7, Precipitato

Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83 (1942) (occasionally called the “Stalingrad”) is the second of the three “War Sonatas” written by Sergei Prokofiev. The sonata was first performed on 18 January 1943 in Moscow by Sviatoslav Richter. The Precipitato finale is a toccata, which boldly affirms the key of the sonata through a more diatonic harmonic language than found in the first movement. This is obvious from the very beginning, with simple B♭ major triads repeated over and over again. Despite a wide range of performance tempos chosen by different pianists, the effect is nevertheless imposing and exciting. – Yuja Wang