Prokofiev began conceiving this work concurrently with his Sixth Sonata, starting in 1939. However, progress was slow thereafter due to his involvement in other major compositions. Yet, as soon as he completed the first draft of his grand opera War and Peace in late April 1942 in Tbilisi (the current capital of Georgia), where he had been evacuated, Prokofiev embarked on this complex work with astonishing speed, completing it by May 2nd.

The premiere took place in Moscow on January 18, 1943, performed by the young virtuoso Sviatoslav Richter, as Prokofiev had wished. Upon receiving the score in early 1943, Richter reportedly "was greatly captivated and memorized it in four days." Richter and Prokofiev worked on the score together at the piano in a room at the National Hotel, where Prokofiev was staying, leading the premiere to a great success. The dedication and speed of work displayed by these two geniuses, Prokofiev and the premiere performer Richter, are truly astonishing.

Furthermore, Prokofiev was awarded the Second-Class Stalin Prize in 1943 for this work.

First Movement (Allegro inquieto)

In 6/8 time. It is in sonata form, typical for the opening movement of a piano sonata.

The composer himself described this movement as "atonal," but the actual first theme appears to be centered around B-flat. However, skillful chromaticism, the use of tritones, and polyphony obscure this, and the music progresses with an unstable sound where tonality is barely perceptible, true to the marking "inquieto" (restless/uneasy). Another notable element of this theme, besides its tonality, is its rhythm. A regular, powerful rhythmic pattern, reminiscent of a march despite being in 6/8 time, makes the "atonal" material surprisingly familiar to the ear. The second theme, played with a change in time signature and tempo (9/8 time, Andantino), also has an unstable tonality, yet its sections are constructed according to scales, clearly showing a structural contrast with the first theme.

As the second theme gradually accelerates, the movement enters the development section. Following the sonata form, it is constructed from previously introduced themes, traversing the keyboard freely and reaching a climactic intensity rarely found in Prokofiev's works.

In the recapitulation, only the second theme is briefly restated, concluding abruptly after a coda based on the first theme.

Second Movement (Andante caloroso)

In E major, a slow movement in 3/4 time. "Caloroso" means "passionately."

The theme, which begins with a languid chromatic line appearing in the inner voice, is a dreamlike melody sung by a baritone. This movement forms a splendid contrast with the outer movements in terms of the theme's character, tempo, and the adoption of E major, the most distant key from B-flat. A new melody is presented from the section marked "Poco più animato," which is then combined with parts of the opening theme and varied. From beginning to end, it is contrapuntally complex, with various melodies intertwining freely to build to a climax.

Third Movement (Precipitato)

In B-flat major, a perpetuum mobile finale in 7/8 time. The marking "Precipitato" means "hastily" or "impetuously." This movement is so widely known that it is often performed as an encore piece, and it is certainly a "showy" piece.

To borrow the words of Russian scholars, this movement is a "Russian toccata" or a "Russian scherzo." The main theme, with its bass ostinato and powerful accents, is said to evoke the strength of a hero from Russian mythology. Since this theme is consistently played with a 2+3+2 rhythm, Russians seem to find an ancient power in this movement, which might otherwise be perceived as mechanical.

The movement takes a ternary form where the main theme encloses a middle section, but the middle section itself is also in ternary form, resulting in an overall symmetrical structure of A-B-C-B-A. The middle section first presents a powerful continuation of the main theme, with accents shifted to a 2+2+3 rhythm, altering the original 2+3+2 rhythm. Enclosed within this is the only part of the movement where a distinct melody is presented. This melody begins in E minor, the relative key of the second movement, then develops into an atonal melody reminiscent of the first movement's main theme, and finally into an octave unison melody completely devoid of harmony.

The restatement of the theme expands its registral range compared to the exposition, driving towards the sound of the B-flat major tonic chord in the final part of the coda with overwhelming power.