Prokofiev was awarded the 1947 Stalin Prize for this composition.
The work is about 30 minutes long and is in four movements of roughly equal length: Prokofiev had described the slithering violin scales at the end of the 1st and 4th movements as "wind passing through a graveyard".
[This quote needs a citation] The violin sonata was premiered by David Oistrakh (violin) and Lev Oborin (piano) on 23 October 1946, coached by the composer.
During rehearsals, Oborin played a certain passage, marked forte, too gently for Prokofiev's liking, who insisted it should be more aggressive.
[1] The first and third movements of the sonata were played at Prokofiev's funeral by Oistrakh and Samuil Feinberg.