Prokofiev’s Piano Sonatas 6–8 are often referred to as “war sonatas”, since they were composed in Russia during World War II during times of great hardship. As the shortest of the three, no. 7 is entirely focused on the essentials, and is certainly Prokofiev’s most famous piano sonata. Anyone who has heard it will not forget the hasty first movement, marked “Allegro inquieto”, the cantabile theme of the second movement and the relentless pull of the machine-like, thudding finale.

The Sonata a...