"Prokofiev himself played it at the Composers’ Union but it was Gilels who gave the first public performance. Prokofiev played it twice. Even after a single hearing, it was clear that this was a remarkable work, but when I was asked whether I planned to play it myself, I was at a loss for an answer. S. S. now had difficulty playing. He no longer had his former confidence, and his hands fluttered helplessly over the keys. After the second hearing, I was firmly resolved to learn the piece. Someone began to snigger: “It’s completely outdated! You don’t really want to play it?!” Of all Prokofiev’s sonatas, this is the richest. It has a complex inner life, profound and full of contrasts. At times it seems to grow numb, as if abandoning itself to the relentless march of time. If it is sometimes inaccessible, this is because of its richness, like a tree that is heavy with fruit. It remains one of my three favorite works, alongside the Fourth and Ninth Sonatas. Gilels played it magnificently at his recital in the Grand Hall."
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Original Language: English
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Sviatoslav Richter, In: Bruno Monsaingeon, Sviatoslav Richter: Notebooks and Conversations, trans. Stewart Spencer
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._8_(Prokofiev)
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Piano Sonata No. 8 (Prokofiev)
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