Review: Giorgi Gigashvili Plays Prokofiev (2026)

Prokofiev’s War Sonatas (Nos. 6–8) are among his most turbulent works, but they also have a strong sense of narrative momentum. Here, Giorgi Gigashvili takes on the three sonatas and pairs them with shorter selections that feature violinist Lisa Batiashvili, a frequent collaborator.

Prokofiev – Gigashvili

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In his self-authored liner notes, Gigashvili writes candidly about hearing these works through the lens of upheaval in his native Georgia. Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82 is a fitting vehicle for that kind of intensity. The first movement (track 1) lands with real force, but what stands out most is the way he pivots between sharply contrasted moods. That volatility keeps the Allegro moderato on edge. The Allegretto has the character of a march, yet Gigashvili slightly softens its weight with a touch of nonchalance. The only thing I found slightly wanting here is the sardonic bite that often sits at the core of Prokofiev’s language.

The slow movement (track 3) is finely shaped. Gigashvili sustains the long lines with a tone that feels both glassy and pliant, and he is careful not to bury the inner voices—those small echoes and off-angle replies that give this music its depth. Even when the pulse relaxes into a waltz-like sway, the interplay between lines stays audible. In the Finale (track 4), he captures the music’s nervous energy and its eventual slide into mayhem. A slightly drier articulation could have clarified some of the more intricate passagework, but the overall trajectory is convincing.

Gigashvili’s reading of Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major, Op. 83 begins with an Allegro inquieto (track 5) that is difficult to shrug off. Where the Sixth Sonata can feel brazen, the Seventh is more insinuating—less overtly cataclysmic, yet more sinister. Gigashvili conveys that disquiet in the martial eruptions as well as in the more melodic spans, and his warm tone usefully tempers the score’s harsher dissonances. The slow movement (track 6) draws on the same strengths: careful color shifts, characterful soft dynamics, and a sense of control over long-range tension. I only wished he would linger a fraction longer on certain climactic chords, letting their impact hang in the air before moving on.

The Precipitato (track 7) is outstanding. As a perpetual-motion machine, it asks for stamina, coordination, and nerve, and Gigashvili keeps it both taut and pointed. He brings out the bluesy harmonies and the satirical jabs, but most importantly, he maintains the pressure of the recurring left-hand octave motif. The result is a vivid image of mechanism turning into something more unhinged—a kind of momentum that ends up pulling the listener in as much as it drives the music forward.

Giorgi Gigashvili (image: ©️ Jo Bogaerts)

Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84 is, in many ways, the sonata of extremes: moments of introspection sit next to some of Prokofiev’s most jarring writing. Gigashvili catches the uneasy irony of the opening Andante dolce (track 8); “sweet” is not quite the word, even in the gentler stretches, which feel charged with volatility. He also has an individual take on the sognando marking of the middle movement: the lullaby atmosphere is repeatedly punctured by notes that refuse to settle harmonically. Other pianists play these intrusions for dry humor or sharper sarcasm, but Gigashvili makes them feel quietly menacing, the dream never fully offers escape. The Finale closes the set with a strong sense of suspense, and with plenty of Prokofiev’s wit left intact.

The two shorter works with Batiashvili shouldn’t be treated as an appendix. They are played with ease and a sense of shared instinct, and they also offer a change of scale after the sonatas’ intensity.

With classic accounts already on the shelf—Richter in live performances, Ashkenazy in his 1970s Decca recordings, and Gilels in the Eighth Sonata from the same era—Gigashvili still makes a case for himself. The personal stake suggested in his notes comes through in the playing, and the result feels like a serious contribution to a crowded field.