Piano Sonata No. 4 was composed based on the unfinished student work Piano Sonata No. 5 from his time at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and the slow movement of a Symphony, also a student work, and was completed in 1917. For Russia, 1917 was a year of great significance, as the Second Russian Revolution erupted amidst the turmoil of World War I. According to Prokofiev's memoirs, he, too, was concerned about the war reaching Petrograd and had "evacuated" to the suburbs, and this piano sonata was completed amidst that chaos. The premiere took place on April 17, 1918, performed by the composer himself in Petrograd, immediately after the revolution. This was two days after the premiere of Piano Sonata No. 3, Op. 28, which, like this work, drew its ideas "from old notebooks".

First Movement: Allegro molto sostenuto, 3/4 time, C minor.

Sonata form. The grandeur and dynamism consistently observed in the sonata-allegro movements of Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 to 3 are largely absent. However, these are replaced by a profound weightiness, resulting in music of high density overall. While the first theme is dominated by the low register and imbued with a solemn atmosphere, the second theme possesses a somewhat light character, interspersed with ornaments, and although it concludes in E-flat major, its tonality is unstable. In the development section, various motives of the themes are contrapuntally combined, forming a dense climax. In the recapitulation, tranquility returns, but in the coda, as the melody ascends, the music builds, and the movement concludes majestically.

Second Movement: Andante assai, 4/4 time, D minor.

This slow movement was originally an Andante repurposed from a symphony that Prokofiev wrote in the winter of 1908 during his conservatory years, while exchanging ideas with his friend Myaskovsky. Furthermore, this movement alone was re-orchestrated in 1934 and assigned the opus number 29bis.

Three-part form (A-B-A'). In A and A', a theme with an arch-shaped melody is repeated, subtly changing its character through the accompaniment, while B forms a lyrical middle section.

Third Movement: Allegro con brio, ma non leggiero

Rondo movement. The first theme, with the right hand scurrying over left-hand arpeggios, is followed by a second theme that, while having a rhythm reminiscent of Haydn, possesses Prokofiev's characteristic melody and harmony. A gentle theme is juxtaposed against these. All themes are in major keys, making this a lively and joyful movement that dispels the minor-key atmosphere of the preceding two movements.