Sviatoslav Richter was already a unique interpreter of Sergei Prokofiev s music in the early 1940s. He became the first performer of the Seventh Sonata, the Sonata for Cello and Piano, the Ninth Sonata, and the Symphony-Concerto. The main factor of Richter s outstanding interpretation is the unusual inner relation of the two geniuses, expressed in a brilliant temperament and a rich emotional sphere. He has the ability to convey strong feelings by restrained means.