This monumental work belongs to the 'War Sonatas' and represents the pinnacle of Prokofiev's technical and emotional range. It is distinctive for its jagged, percussive writing juxtaposed with moments of profound, lyrical despair.
The main challenge is the extreme physical stamina and the ability to project a massive, orchestral sound while navigating complex, dissonant passages.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major (Op. 83) is rated Henle level 9 of 9 — virtuoso repertoire, roughly concert / virtuoso level. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 10.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 9 — meaning you can already play level 8–9 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major (Op. 83) lasts about 28 minutes.
Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major (Op. 83) is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Toccata in D minor by Sergei Prokofiev, Wanderer Fantasy in C major by Franz Schubert, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor by Franz Liszt — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.