Scriabin Sonata 8

In the summer of 1913, Scriabin took some time off from his studies, and his majestic project to transform the world, and did us all a favor by writing his last three sonatas, numbers 8 thru 10.

Sonata No. 8, Op. 66 was the last to be completed. This one piece is probably the pinnacle of Scriabin's art. He never performed it in public, supposedly because he could not commit it to memory. Unlike much of his later work, there are only a couple of poetic instructions in French (such as "avec une joie débordante"), just the standard Italian tempo/character instructions (Lento, Allegro, etc.). One exception is the use of "Tragique". He called this sonata his most tragic piece. This sonata is sometimes referred to as "the enigmatic".

The sonata opens with a slow sequence of hexachords, dissolving into five-point counterpoint (Scriabin was well educated, and proud of it). To these themes, Scriabin apparently attached attributes having to do with the natural world; fire, air, water, earth. After the slow introduction, we are in to a tightly constructed sonata allegro, alternating a two-note motif, a "rippling" motto, trills and more trills, and scherzos.

Günter Philip, who edited the 1970 Peters edition wrote, "The individual interpretation will in every case be able to do no more than to emphasize one part of the components and aspects at the cost of others; a comprehensively perfect rendering appears to be beyond what is humanly possible, at least in the last sonatas."

A million thank yous to jricket and bachopinberg for spotting errors. I hope I've corrected them all!

Created (by myself), edited and mastered in Digital Performer (MOTU) using Ivory sound banks (Synthogy).

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[bachopinberg]

bar 99 the chord at right hand has a natural B, I feel a C instead? (not sure)

[allarmunumralla]

@bachopinberg I'm suicidal. I'm going to take poison or perform Seppuku like those shamed Japanese guys who were shamed. Kidding. Incredibly grateful am I excellent your help for.

All these wrong notes, back to the drawing board, new version late January. Curious thing is it won't sound much different, but I can work out some balances and push the prestos a little harder. I'll never be happy with the ending...

Again mille grazie!

[bachopinberg]

bar 106, last note D# again

[allarmunumralla]

@bachopinberg wow, good catch! I thought I caught all of them. Now I'm all bummed out...

[cmfuentes88]

Beautiful performance! Left me breathless mm. 242 - 262. Those trills are like being suspended in midair!

[tjtheplay]

@whomad1215 Omg have a look at Petroushka!

Probably THE HARDEST piano solo in the standard repertoire! Much harder than Gaspard de la Nuit.

[bachopinberg]

@allarmunumralla stay up pal, it will make feel you better to know that the D at bar 155 is Natural instead! :P (check your e-mail!!! ciao) p.s. bar 155 5th sixteenth note D natural

[whomad1215]

I am so confused at this piece. I've been playing piano for years and am a music major, but I have never seen a solo piano written out in 3+ staffs like that.

I love Scriabin and this piece is beautiful (perhaps haunting is a better word).

[OpulenceOfKnowledge]

This is just beautiful.