Piano Sonata No. 6 (Prokofiev)

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Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82 is the first of his War Sonatas for solo piano. He wrote it in 1940, and it was first performed in Moscow on April 8, 1940, with Prokofiev at the piano.

The work has four movements with strong contrasts in mood and style.

Movement I: The opening introduces a main motto built from a motif in thirds, alternating between minor and major. The music sounds tense and unstable, with dissonant clashes and frequent key changes, giving a feeling of uncertainty.

Movement II: A march-like movement with short, staccato chords. The outer parts feel lively and humorous, while the middle section is more melodic and pensive.

Movement III: A waltz-like movement that is slow and romantic in the outer sections, but with a stormy, bell-like middle section.

Movement IV: A fast rondo to close. The middle section recalls the opening motto without its first note. The virtuosic coda features the motto transformed into rapid, driving figures, ending in a slower, determined restatement that brings the work to a strong, decisive close.