Description
The first of the Five Preludes, Op. 16, written in 1894-95. Unlike the twenty-four of Op. 11, this is a small set of five chosen pieces, and the differences of character between them are sharp. Scriabin was still under Chopin's influence here while beginning to step into a harmony of his own.
In B major and triple meter. At over three minutes it is the longest of the five. The left hand supports in wide broken chords while the right sings a long-breathed melody; both hands carry triplet figures whose divisions of the beat keep sliding apart. The harmony is calm, but the movement of the inner voices gradually clouds it.
An intermediate piece with few technical traps, where the work is the design of the dynamics. The whole prelude is written inside the soft end of the range, and the question is how to shape a contour within it. Do not let the pedal dissolve the left-hand arpeggios; changing it where the harmony turns keeps calm from becoming mud.
Preludes by Scriabin, tracing a path from early Chopin influence toward his own distinctive mystical style.
Browse all songs in Preludes →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)
Alexander Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist from Moscow known for developing a highly personal musical world tied to mystical philosophy. His early works show the lyrical influence of Chopin, but he gradually moved away from traditional tonality toward his own distinctive harmonic system. This site includes 8 of his works, including an early etude and preludes from Op. 11 and Op. 16.
View all works by Scriabin →