Piano Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 82

Piano Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 82, sonata for solo piano by Sergey Prokofiev, known for its passages of electric fury alternating with flowing lyricism. It was completed in February 1940.

Prokofiev began to work in 1939 on Piano Sonata No. 6—as well as what would become piano sonatas number 7 and number 8, the three together comprising his so-called War Sonatas. He was obliged to set them aside to write a cantata in celebration of Joseph Stalin’s 60th birthday. Although he finished the cantata for chorus and orchestra Zdravitsa (“Hail to Stalin”) first, it bears a later opus number than the three piano sonatas.

Piano Sonata No. 6 premiered in April 1940 on a Moscow radio broadcast featuring Prokofiev himself. It was not performed onstage before an audience until the autumn, when the young pianist Sviatoslav Richter played it for his official debut concert.