Scriabin: 12 Etudes Op.8

Introduction

As one might surmise from the low opus number, this is early Scriabin and thus somewhat stylistically derivative. Yet while it divulges unmistakable echoes of Chopin and Liszt, it also reveals a good measure of sophistication and growing mastery of keyboard writing, pointing the way toward the later individualism of the composer. The Etude No. 1 in C sharp minor, with its nervously caressing thirds, is decidedly Chopin-esque, but also exhibits that quirky flow so typical of Scriabin, even in some early pieces. The Second, in F sharp minor, brims with passion and mystery, mixing Chopin with a kind of Rachmaninovian agitation in its cross rhythms. The Etude No. 3 in B minor has the same kind of tempestuous character, but challenges the soloist with a speedy mixture of octaves and single notes. No. 4, in B major, is relatively tranquil in its brightness and sweet nostalgia. The ensuing Etude in E major is more challenging than it sounds, moving consistently in and out of various octave ranges, while turning more intense as the piece progresses. The Sixth, in A major, is graceful and charming in its mostly upper-register sonorities and challenging sixths. The Seventh, in B flat minor, is full of colorful energy and virtuosic hurdles for the soloist in its Presto outer sections. No. 8, in A flat major, is a lovely Lento whose gentle melancholy has a characteristically Scriabin-esque broken flow to its Romantic utterances. The Etude No. 9 in G sharp minor, at about five minutes, is the longest and most powerful piece in the set. Octaves abound in the furor, with Liszt coming to mind in the outer sections, both in the virtuosic writing and in the sinister but dazzling nature of the music. There is a charming, mostly subdued middle section, offering imaginative contrast. The D flat major Tenth mixes staccato and legato writing in quirky, playful music. No. 11, in B flat minor, is sad in its elegance and subdued manner. The closing Etude in D sharp minor, lasting about four minutes, is another long effort and features a powerful sense of yearning, as if expressing some dire frustration or failure. This is probably the most famous etude in the set.

Parts/Movements

1. No. 1, in C sharp major. Allegro
2. No. 2, in F sharp minor. A caprricio, con forza
3. No. 3, in B minor. Tempestoso
4. No. 4, in B major. Piacevole
5. No. 5, in E major. Brioso
6. No. 6, in A major. Con grazia
7. No. 7, in B flat minor. Presto tenebroso, agitato
8. No. 8, in A flat major. Lento (Tempo rubato)
9. No. 9, in C sharp minor. Alla ballata
10. No. 10, in D flat major. Allegro
11. No. 11, in B flat minor. Andante cantabile
12. No. 12, in D sharp minor. Patetico