Boris Giltburg, the pianist on this recording, was born in Moscow in 1984 and began piano studies with his mother at age five.
Historical Context
During World War II, Prokofiev, like many leading artists in Moscow, was evacuated by rail to Nalchik in the northern Caucasus, taking sketches for his ballets and operas with him.
Performer Biography
Boris Giltburg was the first recipient of the new Pnina Salzman Prize in 2011, an award for young Israeli pianists.
Historical Context
Work on the 'War Sonatas' was interrupted in 1939 for a commission to write a cantata for Stalin's 60th birthday.
Critical Reception
After World War II, Soviet authorities criticized Prokofiev and Shostakovich, leading to the denouncement and withdrawal of the first recording of Prokofiev's Sixth Sonata in 1948.
Composition History
Prokofiev conceived his 'War Sonatas' (Nos. 6-8) in 1939 at Kislovodsk, at the same time he met Mira Mendelson, who would become his second wife.
Notable Performances
Pianist Sviatoslav Richter gave the premiere of Prokofiev's Seventh Sonata in 1943, having learned the score in just four days.
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