scriabin Flashcards
no.2 ambigious harmony
The first phrase starts with an unstable bass motion that briefly lands on the first inversion of a minor chord. The bass then progresses into the French augmented sixth chord in the second measure. The clear arrival of the tonic occurs at the third beat of m.4.
what is a mazurka
Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character defined mostly by the “strong accents unsystematically placed on the second or third beat”.
no.5 tonic and dominant harmony
Scriabin favored constant tension between dominant and tonic throughout the Preludes.
The main statement of No.5 in D major opens with the dominant progressing through
V-IV-(vi)-V-I to tonic. There is a constant pull between tonic and dominant distributed in
both voices of treble and bass.
As the piece progresses towards
its end, the tonal center is clearly identified and the tension built from the struggle between
dominant and tonic dissolves
what is a nocturne
chopin wrote 21 of them
A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night.
In its form as a single-movement character piece usually written for solo piano
Nocturnes are generally thought of as being tranquil, often expressive and lyrical, and sometimes rather gloomy
no.2 mood
a passionate aspiration VS a painful hesitation.
no.2 greatest difficulty
Chromaticism and harmonic unpredictability - The timing itself should be somewhat indecisive,
reflecting the harmony. This flexibility of tempo is supported by the composer’s indicated
rubato, even within the first phrase, followed by an a tempo marking
to find such a delicate, but tangible Rubato, that would feel genuine, and would convince at least the player himself (it seems to be not even worth dreaming about convincing the whole variety of potential listeners, all with their own tastes and preferences).
who plays no.2
Sviatoslav Richter
pletnev (all 24 preludes)
no.5 difficulty
primarily involve voicing of chords and wide, rolled chords. The top note of each right hand chord comprises the melody of this piece.
Musically, timing must be used effectively. The opening phrase, consisting of a series of
four half-note chords, must sound like a phrase.
no.5 difficulty
primarily involve voicing of chords and wide, rolled chords. The top note of each right hand chord comprises the melody of this piece.
no.9 difficulty
The primary musical (and technical) challenge here is that of voicing. The right hand part should
be practiced independently, shaping the top line, while keeping the other notes of the chords in
the background.
Once the student has perfected the
right hand voicing, he or she should play the top melodic line along with the left hand, focusing
on playing both lines with independent phrasing.
- proper pedalling is of paramount issue - for mysterious chord changes and exotic sounds a clear pedal change is not the best solution
what is a prelude
A prelude is a short piece of music
Keyboard preludes began to appear in the 17th century as introductory works to keyboard suites
Chopin freed the Prelude from its previously introductory purpose, and transformed these short pieces into independent concert works
debussy, rachmaninov
scriabin wrote 85 preludes
evolution of his music periods
- from one that was affirmatively romantic to one that transcends usual tonality
- early period assimilates complex late romantic language (personal harmonic lang? chromatic but not daring) - unique rhythmic treatment, harmonic language, piano technique
- middle period extends range of harmonic and contrapuntal devices (used classical sonata form , but used ‘false’ recaps in developments)
- later period manifested discussion about colour w rachmaninov (ascribed colours to keys, symbolic of psychological states impled by the musics alter ego - philosophical manifestation) - otherworldy + ecstasy
who was scriabin influenced by in childhood
aunt lyubov took him to anton rubinstein - confirmed his gifts
- studied mendelssohn and chopin and composed in a controlled fashion
in moscow conservatory - taneyevs polyphony + safonovs tonal variety, subtle pedalling and legato playing
- first symphony - polyphonic layers + antiphonic hierarchies to climax
- rhythmic complexity - groupings which state individually on the upbeat (impromptu op7 no2)
scriabins uniqueness
- obsession with philosophy and mysticism
- interest in unorthodox aspects of musical creativity such as synaesthesia
- art as a superior form of knowledge to provide a passage to a transcendental world
how does he show desire
constant use of dominants leaving listener with a heightened sense of expectation
- persistent lack of traditional resolution, a sense of alienation from normal harmonic procedure
