Piano Sonata No. 7 (Scriabin)

Last updated

The Piano Sonata No. 7, Op. 64, subtitled Messe Blanche (White Mass), was written by Alexander Scriabin in 1911. As one of the late piano sonatas of Scriabin's career, the music is highly chromatic and almost atonal. George Perle says that, "the primary set upon which the Seventh Sonata is based," is, in linear order as spelled by Scriabin, E, F♯, G, A, B♭, C, D♭, and that the mystic chord may be derived from the quartal spelling of this set (with D♮ and without G). [1]

Contents

Background

The White Mass is closely related to its predecessor, the sixth sonata. Both works were written in 1911–12 and have structurally and stylistically more in common than any other pair of Scriabin sonatas. [2] Scriabin reportedly feared the sixth sonata, considering the work to be corrupted by demonic forces and going so far as to refuse to play the work in public. [3] Scriabin composed his seventh sonata as an exorcism against the darkness of the sixth sonata, subtitling the work White Mass in order to reflect its celestial nature. He intended the mood of the piece to be ecstatic, evoking images of winged flight, voluptuous rapture and overwhelming forces. [3]

The composer was especially fond of the piece, probably due to its messianic context and perfected structure, which features more contrast, rhythmic and dynamic, than most of his work. [2] Like the second sonata however, the White Mass gave him a great deal of trouble during its composition. [ citation needed ]

The White Mass Sonata is not structurally directly related to Scriabin's ninth sonata, which was composed in 1912–13 and would later earn the nickname Black Mass Sonata.

Structure and content

The piece consists of a single movement, lasting around 10–13 minutes, and is marked "Allegro," although the "Allegro" marking was added later by the publisher. The original tempo marking in Scriabin's hand at the top of the autograph score is "Prophétique." Additional markings provide clues to the different moods Scriabin intended to convey throughout the work, such as "mystérieusement sonore" (mysteriously sonorous), or "avec une sombre majesté" (with a dark majesty). Like the sixth, the seventh sonata is full of violent contrasts, complex counterpoint, advanced tritonal harmonies, and rippling, incandescent arpeggios. [2] The theme marked "avec une céleste volupté" (with a heavenly voluptuousness) melodically presents a harmony that recurs throughout the sonata. Another recurring harmony is presented by the theme marked "étincelant" (sparkling). Passages throughout the sonata imitate lightning, clouds of perfume, and distant bells. The chords imitating the ringing of bells were a favourite of Scriabin's, and they provide another harmony that recurs throughout the work (two minor thirds separated by a minor sixth). According to Leonid Sabaneyev, when Scriabin himself played these chords, the ringing sounded from near and afar at the same time; a part of them sounded very real, while another sounded like an echo. [4] There is also a significant five-octave arpeggiated chord at the end, representing a flash of blinding light. The music that follows surges upward in register until the end of the sonata where it dissipates, representing "enervation and nonexistence after the act of love."

Performance history

The White Mass sonata is one of Scriabin's most advanced works. Notable Scriabin masters such as Vladimir Horowitz and Vladimir Sofronitsky did not play or record the piece. However, Sviatoslav Richter performed it a number of times throughout his career, and played it on tours as late as 1994. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Perle, George (1991). Serial Composition and Atonality, p.41. University of California. ISBN   9780520074309.
  2. 1 2 3 (1994), Taub notes, p. 6
  3. 1 2 (1997), Ashkenazy notes, p. 6
  4. ↑ Sabaneev (2005), p. 169
  5. ↑ "Sviatoslav Richter Discography". trovar.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.

Related Research Articles

An octatonic scale is any eight-note musical scale. However, the term most often refers to the ancohemitonic symmetric scale composed of alternating whole and half steps, as shown at right. In classical theory, this symmetrical scale is commonly called the octatonic scale, although there are a total of 43 enharmonically inequivalent, transpositionally inequivalent eight-note sets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Scriabin</span> Russian composer and pianist (1872–1915)

Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and composed in a relatively tonal, late-Romantic idiom. Later, and independently of his influential contemporary Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed a much more dissonant musical language that had transcended usual tonality but was not atonal, which accorded with his personal brand of metaphysics. Scriabin found significant appeal in the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk as well as synesthesia, and associated colours with the various harmonic tones of his scale, while his colour-coded circle of fifths was also inspired by theosophy. He is often considered the main Russian symbolist composer and a major representative of the Russian Silver Age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Sonata No. 29 (Beethoven)</span> Longest Beethoven piano sonata, composed in 1818

Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29 in B♭ major, Op. 106 is a piano sonata that is widely viewed as one of the most important works of the composer's third period and among the greatest piano sonatas of all time. Completed in 1818, it is often considered to be Beethoven's most technically challenging piano composition and one of the most demanding solo works in the classical piano repertoire. The first documented public performance was in 1836 by Franz Liszt in the Salle Erard in Paris to an enthusiastic review by Hector Berlioz.

In music, the mystic chord or Prometheus chord is a six-note synthetic chord and its associated scale, or pitch collection; which loosely serves as the harmonic and melodic basis for some of the later pieces by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. Scriabin, however, did not use the chord directly but rather derived material from its transpositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)</span> Beethovens last completed piano concerto

The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the Emperor Concerto in English-speaking countries, is a piano concerto composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven composed the concerto in 1809 under salary in Vienna, and he dedicated it to Archduke Rudolf, who was his patron, friend, and pupil. Its public premiere was on 28 November 1811 in Leipzig, with Friedrich Schneider as the soloist and Johann Philipp Christian Schulz conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Beethoven, usually the soloist, could not perform due to declining hearing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Sonata No. 32 (Beethoven)</span> Piano sonata written by Beethoven

The Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, is the last of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas. The work was written between 1821 and 1822. Like other late period sonatas, it contains fugal elements. It was dedicated to his friend, pupil, and patron, Archduke Rudolf.

The Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 68, commonly known as the Black Mass Sonata, is one of the late piano sonatas composed by Alexander Scriabin. The work was written around 1912–1913. Although its nickname was not invented by Scriabin, he approved of it.

The Piano Sonata No. 8, Op. 66, by Alexander Scriabin, was composed between 1912 and 1913. As one of Scriabin's late piano sonatas, the eighth sonata features non-tertian harmony, though is arguably less dissonant than some of his other late works. Like Scriabin's other late piano sonatas, the eighth sonata reflects the composer's mystical interests. Scriabin saw some parts of this sonata, which, like the sixth sonata, he never performed in public, as "the most tragic episode of my creative work".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piano Sonata No. 5 (Scriabin)</span> Piano sonata written by Alexander Scriabin

The Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53, is a work written by Alexander Scriabin in 1907. This was his first sonata to be written in one movement, a format he retained from then on. A typical performance lasts from 11 to 12 minutes. The work is considered to be one of Scriabin's most difficult compositions, both technically and musically.

Vers la flamme, Op. 72, is one of Alexander Scriabin's last pieces for piano, written in 1914.

The Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70, was written by Alexander Scriabin in 1913. It was his final work in this form. The piece is highly chromatic and tonally ambiguous like Scriabin's other late works, although arguably less dissonant than most of his late works. It is characterized by frequent trills and tremolos. It is sometimes called his "Insect Sonata", in reference to the following statement he made that was recorded by Leonid Sabaneev:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolai Medtner</span> Russian composer and pianist (1880–1951)

Nikolai Karlovich Medtner was a Russian composer and pianist. After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immediately after his death, he is now becoming recognized as one of the most significant Russian composers for the piano.

<i>Fantaisie-Impromptu</i> Piano composition by Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ minor, Op. posth. 66, WN 46 is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none of his unpublished manuscripts be published. The Fantaisie-Impromptu is one of Chopin's most frequently performed and popular compositions.

The Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-sharp minor, Op. 23, by Alexander Scriabin was composed between 1897 and 1898. The sonata consists of four movements, typically spanning 18 minutes in performance.

The Piano Sonata No. 6, Op. 62, by Alexander Scriabin was composed in 1911. Although it was named the sixth sonata, the piece was preceded by the Sonata No. 7. As it is one of the late piano sonatas of Scriabin's career, the music consists of a single movement and is almost atonal, although it is sometimes listed as being in the key of G. Scriabin reportedly never played the sonata in public, because he feared its darkness.

The Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 6, by Alexander Scriabin, was the third of twelve piano sonatas that he composed. It was completed in 1892. The music is emotionally charged as much of the music was written after Scriabin had damaged his right hand through excessive piano playing.

Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No. 7 in B♭ major, Op. 83 is a sonata for solo piano, the second of the three "War Sonatas", composed in 1942. The sonata was first performed on 18 January 1943 in Moscow by Sviatoslav Richter. Performances of this sonata can last anywhere from 17 to about 20 minutes.

Alexander Scriabin's Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28, was written in 1900. This is a single sonata form movement which bridges the gap between Scriabin's third and his fourth sonata. Scriabin wrote this piece during an otherwise compositionally unproductive period during his tenure at the Moscow Conservatory. The first edition was published by Belaieff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schubert's last sonatas</span> Compositions by Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert's last three piano sonatas, D 958, 959 and 960, are his last major compositions for solo piano. They were written during the last months of his life, between the spring and autumn of 1828, but were not published until about ten years after his death, in 1838–39. Like the rest of Schubert's piano sonatas, they were mostly neglected in the 19th century. By the late 20th century, however, public and critical opinion had changed, and these sonatas are now considered among the most important of the composer's mature masterpieces. They are part of the core piano repertoire, appearing regularly on concert programs and recordings.

Alexander Scriabin's 24 Preludes, Op. 11 is a set of preludes composed in the course of eight years between 1888–96, being also one of Scriabin's first published works with M.P. Belaieff in 1897, in Leipzig, Germany, together with his 12 Études, Op. 8 (1894–95).

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.