Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 7 | Lang Lang

Does this sonata reflect the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin? Perhaps traces of both can be found in Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 83, since this modern Russian work was composed during the Second World War. It features both turbulent and contemplative passages, which Chinese pianist Lang Lang interprets in his own distinctive way. This recording was made on January 28, 2010, in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein during the pianist’s concert in Vienna. (00:00) I. Allegro inquieto (in B-flat major) (09:45) II. Andante caloroso (in E major) (16:13) III. Precipitato (in B-flat major) Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) composed his Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 83 in 1942, during the Second World War. Despite the non-aggression pact concluded by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in 1939, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. In late summer 1942, German forces occupied Stalingrad. Prokofiev was evacuated from Moscow and lived in the Caucasus and Kazakhstan. It was during this period that he composed his three piano sonatas: numbers 6, 7 and 8, the so-called "War Sonatas." The Seventh Sonata bears the subtitle "Stalingrad" and is his best-known piano sonata. The pianist Sviatoslav Richter gave the premiere of the Seventh Sonata on January 18, 1943, in Moscow. He later recalled how deeply the audience was moved: "With this work, we are brutally plunged into the anxiously threatening atmosphere of a world that has lost its balance. Chaos and uncertainty reign. We see murderous forces unleashed…in the tremendous struggle that this involves, we find the strength to affirm the irrepressible life-force." The first movement rushes forward in an impetuous sweep across the keyboard. Its concise main theme and insistent staccato rhythms reflect the aesthetics of Russian Futurism, a movement that embraced the sounds of modern industry, like pounding machines or, in this case, perhaps even the gunfire. In contrast, the slow second movement introduces lyrical passages built around a romantic melody, said to be based on Robert Schumann’s song "Wehmut" ("Melancholy"). The third movement, "Precipitato," captivates listeners with its dark harmonies and driving syncopations reminiscent of jazz music. It's widely regarded to be technically challenging — even for piano virtuosos. That same year, Sergei Prokofiev was awarded the prestigious Second-Class Stalin Prize for his Piano Sonata No. 7 — an honor celebrated within his family circle, despite his ambivalent relationship with Stalin. Prokofiev scholar Simon Morrison interprets the musical language of the Seventh Piano Sonata as "an expression of the turbulent war years." English author Daniel Jaffé also draws a direct connection to Stalin. On June 20, 1939, the Soviet secret police arrested Prokofiev’s close friend, the theatre director Vsevolod Meyerhold, who was executed on February 2, 1940. Only a few months later, at Stalin’s request, Prokofiev composed a toast — "Zdravitsa," Op. 85 — for the dictator’s 60th birthday, sometimes translated as "Hail to Stalin." Jaffé suggests that Prokofiev forced himself to write this celebratory work and then "expressed his true feelings" in the three piano sonatas Nos. 6, 7, and 8. When Chinese pianist Lang Lang recorded the composer's Seventh Piano Sonata in Vienna for Sony Music in 2010, he was already a megastar among piano virtuosos at the age of 27, though not without controversy. He stood out not only for his formidable technical brilliance, but also for his flair for spectacle. In 2006, he performed at the opening ceremony of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, appearing alongside three orchestras. In 2019, he set a world record with a performance involving 1,554 pianists playing Robert Schumann’s Military March on 777 pianos. Three years later, he gave a spectacular open-air concert in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 3,454 meters, performing in freezing temperatures. The Golden Hall of Vienna's Musikverein was already a special venue for Lang Lang at the time this recorded performance took place. For me, there are few halls around the globe that have the same prestige as Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein…So I felt that after Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein would be the place where I should do another live recording." Text: Gaby Reucher © 2010 Sony Classical International Find more concerts here:    • CONCERT HALL   in our playlist featuring pieces for solo piano:    • SOLO PIANO   and in our playlist with piano concertos:    • PIANO CONCERTOS   Subscribe to DW Classical Music:    / dwclassicalmusic   #prokofiev #pianoconcerto #langlang