Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.
Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.
Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.
The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.
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Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.
The safest next step.
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
A useful leap with guided practice.
This sonata projects a sharp, incisive mood, often motoric and spiked with dissonance, alternating dry rhythmic thrusts with brief lyrical episodes tinged with irony. Technically, you will need to focus on Polyrhythm 2 against 3 (3.1/5): here the physical task is to sustain a steady pulse in one hand while articulating clear ternary groupings in the other without disturbing the underlying beat, and Form awareness (3.6/5): knowing the movement structures helps shape repeats and transitions so the abrupt juxtapositions make musical sense. The work belongs to Prokofiev's modern period and occupies an important place among his piano sonatas, showcasing his taste for violent contrasts between virtuosic drive and cantabile moments. I do not give a recommended recording because I prefer not to cite a performer unless I am certain of a definitive reference for this specific work.