Scriabin: Ten Mazurkas Op.3

Introduction

These Mazurkas (10) are early works and thus show relatively little of the advanced compositional features that began to appear in Scriabin's piano output around the beginning of the twentieth century. Still, while they exhibit the influence of Chopin and Schumann, these Mazurkas divulge the composer's burgeoning musical persona, his characteristic sense of improvisation, and of quirkiness in the flow of the main line. Most are short, lasting about two or three minutes each, with the exception of the six- or seven-minute No. 10.

The perky but elegant Mazurka in B minor No. 1, marked Tempo giusto, with its stately, grand central section, exhibits that quirky but charming Scriabin-esque melodic flow. No. 2 (Allegretto non tanto), in F sharp minor, is rife with modulations in its ebullience and charm. The ensuing Mazurka in G minor (Allegretto) is a melancholy, stormy piece that clearly betrays the influence of Chopin. The E major No. 4 (Moderato) seems to serenely float along one moment, then turn jaunty and playful, if not oafish, the next.

No. 5 (Doloroso), in D sharp minor, is also melancholy and one of the more rewarding offerings in the set. It is Schumann-esque and thematically richer than most of its siblings here, reaching a considerable expressive depth in its generally meditative moods. The C sharp minor No. 6 (Scherzando) is, as its marking indicates, a Scherzo, brilliant and playful in its outer sections -- calling to mind Liszt -- and relatively subdued in its middle panel. The ensuing mazurka (Con passione), in E minor, lives up to the spirit of its marking, with a strong sense of passion and yearning (or is it regret?) in its mostly descending melodic lines.

No. 8 (Con moto), in B flat minor, is elegant and Chopin-esque, and as it progresses, the sense of nostalgia grows, the hints of Chopin turning up in almost every phrase. No. 9, in G sharp minor, bears no tempo marking but is generally played at a moderate pacing. Its mood is melancholy, but often shifts to an agitated expressive manner. The final mazurka (Sotto voce), in the highly unusual key of E flat minor, is, as mentioned above, the longest. It is also the most complex, mixing a sense of the playful and melancholy, and exhibiting snatches of the young composer's later, more individual style, especially in the middle section.

Parts/Movements

1. No. 1, in B minor. Tempo giusto
2. No. 2, in F sharp minor. Allegretto non tanto
3. No. 3, in G minor. Allegretto
4. No. 4, in E major. Moderato
5. No. 5, in D sharp minor. Doloroso
6. No. 6, in C sharp minor. Scherzando
7. No. 7, in E minor. Con passione
8. No. 8, in B flat minor. Con moto
9. No. 9, in G sharp minor
10. No. 10, in E flat minor