Alexander Scriabin ‒ 8 Etudes, Op.42

Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915), Huit études Op 42 (1903)
Performed by Garrick Ohlsson
00:00 - No. 1 D flat major: Presto
01:52 - No. 2 F sharp minor: Crotchet = 112
02:55 - No. 3 F sharp major: Prestissimo
03:53 - No. 4 F sharp major: Andante
07:03 - No. 5 C sharp minor: Affannato
09:56 - No. 6 D flat major: Esaltato
12:09 - No. 7 F minor: Agitato
13:06 - No. 8 E flat major: Allegro
The eight Études Op 42 bring us to 1903. Scriabin was by now an established composer with two symphonies to his credit, and as a pianist was a respected interpreter of his own music. Much was changing personally, philosophically and musically. In 1897 he had married the pianist Vera Ivanovna, but in 1902 Tatyana Schloezer became his pupil; a romance developed and in 1904 Scriabin and Tatyana travelled to Paris together. They married later despite Russian legal complications. Significantly, the Op 42 Études were the last of Scriabin’s piano music that Vera worked on with him.
Around 1900 Scriabin joined the circle around the Moscow philosopher Prince Trubetskoy; the climate in this group tended towards the mystical and apocalyptic. Scriabin also read Nietzsche and later became involved with theosophy. These trends of thought, together with a pampered early upbringing by a devoted aunt, led to an increasingly solipsistic world-view,summed up later in Scriabin’s exclamation to the composer Liadov: ‘I am the creator of new worlds. I am God!’
The Etudes of Op 42 are firmly rooted in tonality but frequently carry chromaticism and metrical complexity to extremes. No 1 is written in a restless cross-rhythm of nine against five; further, the right hand’s melodic groupings go across the bar lines in carefully asymmetrical units of 3, 4, 5 and 6 (later, 5 and 4). Speed, lightness, mobility and ceaseless fluid motion again create the sensation of exhilarating flight.
No 2 exploits Scriabin’s favourite five against three, but here the left-hand figures are shifted across the beats as in Op 8 No 7, giving a feeling of underlying disquiet. This surfaces in the final bars where both hands, as Chopin said of the finale of his B flat minor Sonata which this passage seems to recall, ‘chatter in unison’.
No 3 is a superlative trill study; its ethereal register and chromatic fleetness have earned it the apt Russian nickame of ‘The Mosquito’. Its F sharp major tonality is shared by No 4, an idyllic love song (for Tatyana?).
In violent contrast is No 5, eloquently marked ‘Affanato’-breathless and anxious. This atmosphere is created by a restless, dense texture and a harmonic language in which nearly every chord is darkened and destabilized by the addition of a seventh. An aspiring second subject, one of Scriabin’s finest melodic inspirations, affords some relief from the grip of nightmare.
‘Esaltato’-‘elated’-is the marking of No 6, hinting perhaps at Scriabin’s Nietzschean aspirations; the melodic gestures are imperious, and underlying exhilaration is conveyed not only by constantly swirling cross-rhythms but also by delaying the arrival of the tonic harmony for sixteen bars. This signals an increasing tendency in Scriabin’s music: in its final phase, from 1911 on, tonality became a background element, obliquely referred to but rarely overtly stated. Liszt had hinted at this possibility in the Bagatelle sans tonalité back in 1885, but Scriabin could not have known the piece; it remained unpublished until 1956.
The Brahmsian sixths and rhythmic devices of No 7 are comparatively conservative; this may be the Étude mentioned in a letter of 1899 from the composer to his publisher Belaiev. No 8 shares the first study’s aerial quality, but here the shifting of both hands’ figures across the beat (again in cross-rhythms) creates a weightless, wind-borne impression. By contrast, the central section is solidly grandiose, like that of Op 8 No 7, but its much more advanced harmonic language has a strong foretaste of Scriabin’s next major work, The Divine Poem.

[@MoldySoup]

The beauty contained within the fifth Étude drove me past the brink of tears.

[@morganmartinez8420]

The difficulty of that piece is directly proportional to its beauty.

[@aldorossi3177]

The fifth is a deep homage to melancholy and sadness.

[@ClassicalMountain]

I barely can't hold my tears when I play this masterpiece.

[@guillermobadell6]

they are all wonderful but number 5 is just incredibly beautiful..full of Russian feeling, only meant for real virtuosos

[@seanriedy]

The fifth etude, to me, is easily one of the best pieces of Scriabin's, if not of all time; not just for the raw musical value but also what it represents. This piece was written when Scriabin was forming his new harmonic system, and no doubt he was going a bit loony by then, practically psychotic by the end of his life. Listening to his earlier pieces you hear the strong tides and turbulence of his youthful emotions, but by the end of his life he has been consumed wholly by mysticism and eroticism. The fifth etude, as I hear it, is the last rebellion of a man who is going insane and knows it.

[@timauger]

I've only just discovered Scriabin. My loss. Or, rather, my gain now.

[@kellenparkinson7225]

Dude nice. If you haven't already, check out some of his works played by Sofronitsky. Let me know if you want any particular recommendations!

[@sabaneyev]

@@kellenparkinson7225 what pieces by Scriabin does Sofronitsky play well? are there any other pianists you'd recommend?

[@kellenparkinson7225]

@@sabaneyev Here's a great Scriabin recital where he plays a few works. Scriabin had a transition from his early style to his late style. His earlier style is similar to Chopin with more Russian color, whereas his music became much more original and modernistic later on. In this recital there's a bit of both worlds (and this recital's pieces are not in chronological order), so maybe check it out and see if you can find some stuff you like. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXPXdaB3bq13fZI

[@sabaneyev]

@@kellenparkinson7225 thanks!

[@kellenparkinson7225]

@@sabaneyev Np. Also didn't mean to timestamp it!

[@Santosificationable]

...can you hear that? You think it's Chopin outside...a mask of grace and serenity. Then you look deeper - and see inside, instead of resolve, struggle...instead of pessimism, a rebellious optimism...you see madness and insanity and an extraordinary force of creativity struggling to explode in a wash of colour. That's Scriabin!

[@patrikvanhavere7109]

wow... the perfect description. can you tell me where are you from ?

[@The1976spirit]

You see voices. Scizo guys hear voices. A great disturbance in Palpatines bathrobe is no match for Cad Banes invisable hooknose

[@NotMozart1685]

@@patrikvanhavere7109 Timbuktu

[@minister_of_films2635]

I can't hear that. I'm deaf

[@aldoringo439]

I agree that he was mad (and genius at the same time) but I think he wasn't always mad - it developed through his life, and he was probably depressed and suicidal at many points of his life.

[@peabrane8067]

Man, the harmony in the first etude is absolutely out of this world. If I can only play it...

[@christianvennemann9008]

No. 5 will forever be my favorite. ♥♥

[@tselyakov]

Wow unbelievable, Ohlsson plays these extremely well! Made me feel like I was in flight in op. 42 n.5

[@nghiavan8952]

You should also listen to Horowitz’s performance, if you haven’t already

[@tselyakov]

@@nghiavan8952 that was the first one I listened to! I love love Horowitz! However, Ohlssohn’s left hand technique is better than Horowitz. You hear every single note.

[@danielche2349]

13:06 - No. 8 sounds kinda jazzy cool

[@thenameisgsarci]

Fine, you can have it. Might listen to the whole set properly this time... :)

[@Medtnaculuss]

+thenameisgsarci It's a very good set!

[@ClassicalMusic2002]

Indeed it is!

[@Yt-hd6zy]

sucruisive le feti`en good!!!

[@alexs1504]

that no 4 is the reason why I love Scriabin, such quietude, it's so beautiful

[@querk123]

Best recording I've heard. Such attention to detail, incredible technique.

[@789armstrong]

exquisite masterpieces. should be played more often.

[@menelaos.peistikos]

What a wonderful piece. Many of these etudes are not as known as it should be.

[@shawnmand5607]

I want to learn all of them, but I've been working on #5 for almost a year, and I still haven't conquered it. And by the looks of it, it might not even be the hardest one.

[@NoahSpencer008]

@@shawnmand5607 Rachmaninoff called it a "Difficult etude!" Saying it "Took me an hour to learn"

[@Historia_]

@@shawnmand5607 did u conquer it?

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@shawnmand5607 I think it is the most difficult one out of the 8 but No.6 is close

[@m.a.g.3920]

​@@NoahSpencer008fuck Rachmaninoff man, he wanted to humilliate the entire world😂😂

[@user-vg8wc2nz6t]

0:05 1:52 2:56 3:55 7:04 9:57 12:10 13:07

[@milton3204]

Beautiful playing, wonderful set. This set by far outshines the more popular op. 8 etudes.

[@revelchristian4145]

Merci de pouvoir donner accès, à travers ces partitions qui défilent, aux excellentes compositions de Scriabine qui méritent vraiment d'être découvertes !! Modeste pianiste amateur, je me contente de défricher le sublime et si "chopinesque" prélude N°11 op 11 !

[@christianmichael2576]

good lord that one starting around 4 minutes is incredible ...

[@rbsmiles7661]

Fabulous, Kris! Love them all!

[@NoahSpencer008]

These Scriabin recordings are my favorite. Thanks for the upload!

[@Rc-yb2pc]

Ngl the fourth etude is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard.

[@jeanlucchapelon]

Magnifique Quel contrôle et quelle émotion !!

[@ThatGuy5331]

Absolute masterpieces!

[@biggreenlzrd]

I've played nos. 4-5 and should probably go back and learn the rest. I love this set.

[@aldoringo439]

The performer deserves an OBE for that performance.

[@Odin_Limaye]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@jethroolivier868]

The 7th etude touched my heart

[@JohannesBruhms]

I think Scriabin reached same or more higher musical level than Chopin's Etude in this etude. No.5 is of course good, but I especially prefer no.4 and no.8. The dreamy and poetic mood of no.4 and the simple beauty and innocence of the theme of no.8, the contrasting and meditative mood of the middle part just melted my heart..

[@Rochedude]

I totally agree with you You should listen to Dmitry Alexeev's interpretation of both of those pieces, it sinks into your mind, i've never heard anything this dreamy

[@ciararespect4296]

Maybe higher difficulty but musicality of Chopin etudes are unsurpassed

[@ralsei217]

​@@ciararespect4296 how are they unsurpassed, they are so simple

[@ciararespect4296]

@@ralsei217 not unsurpassed in difficulty. I know they're easy. Obviously Godowskys are a tad harder.. I play both but Chopins are unsurpassed in charm

[@ralsei217]

@@ciararespect4296 no I mean, Rachmaninoff or Liszt etudes are like a lot more creative and charming, at least imo, so I think its hard to say that they are the most musical etudes

[@robertflynn6686]

I believe the word 'etude' defines these. Exercises for better playing techniques. But they are also beauties in their compositions.

[@PieInTheSky9]

Thank you! One of my favorite sets. Somebody else had uploaded the in my opinion ugly Ponty interpretations. Garrick Ohlsson plays these with finesse and I quite enjoy his interpretations.

[@Medtnaculuss]

+Echoherb I am a huge fan of his playing for Scriabin's etudes. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@henrynash4402]

these wonderfully succinct etudes i have not the pleasure of hearing until now,nearly 30 years after my piano teacher told me about scriabin. Scriabin had or has just a splendid way of exhibiting his colorful music. Kevin Gibson

[@albertpeckham8708]

Thank you Maestro !

[@thedaychr]

This Études are just genius

[@ghernandez6457]

Pure genius, long live the last great composers.

[@Barichter74318]

I love these etudes! I especially liked Ohlsson's playing of 3 and 8

[@Viflo]

8:53 beauty in its purest form

[@notafraid605]

You should check out the performance of Mina Mijović. Pure love

[@jiaxuli1013]

I also find this moment particularly beautiful. It's really true of what's written in the description - like a relief from the grip of a deep and dark nightmare.

[@nghiavan8952]

What about the B major part?

[@pianomanhere]

Magnificent

[@robh9079]

Lovely pieces. 3.10ish on sounds like a variation on the Paganini theme!

[@SpaghettiToaster]

Rob Harvey Nice find!

[@alanleoneldavid1787]

This and Trifonov are my favorite modern recordings. I've played no. 4 on my channel

[@Dichweed]

The world owes him for his advancement of music.

[@user-xz2ro2wm7u]

好きな曲。❤

[@federico6485]

2:47 is beautiful. No.2 is underrated.

[@SCRIABINIST]

I love Number 5, but No.6 is just something different.

[@ler_47]

No.6 is such an Underrated and misunderstood piece, imo..It's just wonderful💯

[@mts2]

Really nice interpretation, I'm yet to see his take on the Sonatas.

[@marcorval]

No. 4 sounds like literal Heaven.

[@firoza8994]

i think the number 2 very clearly references op 8 no 2, same key, similar texture, and the melodic gestures are almost identical. of course the no 5 is great. all of scriabins F sharp major pieces like no 4 are beautiful imo. the number 6 shares melodic similarity with op 8 no 11.

[@rachm06]

first time I heard n.4 was like a deja vu, somewhat like I already knew what's going on and be able to anticipate the next motif. Don't know why, kind of a consonance with my soul.

[@oritdrimer4354]

These are in my Opinion, the best set of etudes by a huge margin.

[@scribblertheband]

Love the f sharp major one

[@benthrandish2706]

Flight of the Mosquito they say

[@MultiDansk8]

No. 6 is just exquisite

[@TheMusicalKnokcers]

5 good, 4 to listen again

[@ninjafruit816]

5:13, Scriabin's piano concerto?

[@danielche2349]

wait i don't hear it, where in the concerto?

[@spencerhaynes7455]

3rd movement b section

[@yuenlee8031]

Difficult as well as beautiful

[@svbeev1]

Number 4 is my favorite !

[@aldoringo439]

Scriabin was clearly a massive fan of chopin now I think about it. I dont think its a coincidence that both happened to write Etudes, and Waltses, and nocturnes, and mazurkas, and preludes.

[@billmarrufo]

Indeed a fan of Chopin but pretty soon he found a unique and, IMO, a style and creativity yet unsurpassed by any other composer since. He is my epitome in music, the Einstein of the notes.

[@abigaelandegue905]

It’s the five for me ❤️

[@stonesokol505]

no 3 is immaculate

[@Whatismusic123]

no 8 is kinda like that one mendelssohn song without words

[@erikbreathes]

11:54 What in the world is that Arpeggio? Why do you do this Alexander?

[@federico6485]

Chopin also did it.

[@otakuxgirl6]

@@federico6485 in which piece?

[@federico6485]

@@otakuxgirl6 etude op10-11, nocturne op48-1

[@alanleoneldavid1787]

@@federico6485 that lenght?

[@federico6485]

@@alanleoneldavid1787 Not as long as that though

[@carlhopkinson]

Scriabins etudes could reasonably be thought as a worthy extension of Chopins.....they are that good.

[@thedaychr]

I think scriabin style its a whole other thing but theyre both beautiful

[@fredericfrancoischopin6971]

Styles are really different but thank you. I'm big fan of this etudes

[@Viktor-lp4cn]

A fluttering staccato!

[@fabb91]

One more time young fitzepatrick....

[@bartjebartmans]

Advertisement within 1 second after No. 4 is in the same key. Must be a fluke.

[@user-qz9jf8ir5v]

What's score edition?

[@AnthonyLeighDunstan]

1:04!

[@alexanderbayramov2626]

9 against 5 in the first one, like wtf, why Scriabin is always like this (ofc this is what makes Scriabin's music so good, can't deny that, but whyyy)

[@toothlesstoe]

No. 3 says prestissimo, yet it's impossible to play it faster than allegretto lol

[@TrionSixteenisawsum]

This sounds hella jazzy

[@sabaneyev]

you would probably like Kapustin's 8 Concert Etudes

[@beeshin9945]

The piece in this era is hard to analyze

[@danielche2349]

7:03

[@pacomachado]

If you can't feel these rhythms and polyrhythms, you can't play it (well). That is the fucker. The advanced rhythm course in Amsterdam is very good. Also private lessons possible and a book to buy (get) when you start private lessons there. I don't know the teacher (s) there. Also the drummer Peter Magadini has a pilyrhythm book out there. See links below. I spent a lot of time finding this information. The good thing is that all these polyrhythms exercises makes the timing better and better. The sad thing is that music colleges are usually not good with studying polyrhythms and not good with studying different feels behind and ahead of the beat. See video below. If we play exactly on the click it sounds mechanical. Maybe good sometimes if the composer requires it, but I don't like to hear the phrase "On top of the beat". It is behind or ahead in many variations. Many usually think good timing is something we are born with, but it is not true. For example to feel a group of five takes time, and playing with different feels takes time - and to learn to feel the different feels. Also we hear that to play different rhythm feels are an intuitive thing. No. We need to dig deep into it. It's all about emotions too. To play something angry and aggressive behind the beat is not very realistic, is it. Or to play a love song ahead of the beat. We need to be emotionally connected. If we can't feel the rhythms and the rhythm feels, we can't put emotions into it. And music is about expressing emotions. Maybe the Brahms violin concerto in D is a good example of different rhythms and different rhythms feels blended together in a superb way by the solo violin. "The lion never attacks behind the beat". kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6rVY6N4i96krLc www.advancedrhythm.com www.amazon.com/Polyrhythms-Musicians-Guide-Peter-Magadini/dp/0634032836 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWGnpXajnZV9f5I

[@toothlesstoe]

I've never had to think too hard about executing rhythms. For me, it just comes naturally.

[@user-uv1pi1xr2y]

7:03 - 5

[@437composer]

3/ 2:55 4/ 3:53 5/ 7:03

[@czeynerpianistproducercomp7155]

More Beautiful And Hard than any Chopin And Liszt Etude

[@toeless_ant7688]

I love your channel but you have to stop hating on Chopin

[@ilikeplayingffftonecluster851]

@@toeless_ant7688 at least it’s an improvement from sucking off Czerny in every comment

[@joefalchetto94]

Maybe it's me, but in a lot of places the playing sounded a bit obnoxious.. So little cure...

[@blakeray9856]

I think he doesn't understand the first one at all. It sounds like gibberish here. No understanding of pedaling, or the voice leading in the brilliant harmonies. I couldn't listen to much more. Admittedly, it is a very difficult work, and I just heard a different one that was just as bad, and in the same way. It's terrible that this passes as Scriabin.

[@toothlesstoe]

Understandable, however, I still liked it.

[@asalj4014]

@@blakeray9856 Babayan plays the first one best! It's on instantencore

[@blakeray9856]

@@asalj4014 I found it and listened; there is absolutely no comparison. I heard Babayan in a live solo recital a couple of years ago on which he played, among many other things, the Bach Goldberg Variations, and he was wonderful. The next day he gave an outstanding master class. He is a highly disciplined artist, and it was so refreshing to hear him take such a serious approach in the master class. And he understands pedaling. I may have been too harsh in what I said about Villa above. I have since listened to several other of his performances on KZbin, and he was a very talented pianist who in some ways was also very well trained. He achieved a lot in his short life. Nevertheless, I do think he really missed the mark in that one Scriabin etude, especially in the pedaling department, but also in voicing and phrasing. Thanks for the recommendation, and for reminding me about Babayan, who, I think, is a vastly better musician and pianist than so many of these celebrity pianists who are playing all over the place these days.

[@alexanfadel]

Etude no 6 sounds like the anti version of Etude no 5

[@carlhopkinson]

This could be considered The Chopin Etudes Volume 2.

[@nghiavan8952]

Op. 8 would fit that position better.

[@e.hutchence-composer8203]

I really struggle to understand composers from Rachmaninoff onwards. Rachmaninoff is my musical enjoyment limit, composers like Scriabin, Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky and Prokofiev just sound like jumbled notes to me with the odd exception of a piece I semi enjoy. This is probably a result of my musical interest, I find the Romantic Era the most enjoyable, but that’s just my opinion.

[@Jiladah]

For me its more a question of level of stimulus. Rachmaninoff is nice to listen but too straightforward. To open your mind you need that sparkle of extreme, call it genious madness obsession whatever, I guess a bit of everything. Personally it only clicks for me with few of scriabins works (none of any works that I know from your other named candidates) but if it clicks, its incredible.

[@TomCL-vb6xc]

Eddie Hutchence That sounds like misery. No offense, but you should always look to expand your musical palette. You’d be suprised at how much you can train your ears to understand music it one found completely foreign. Scriabin and Ravel initially baffled me as well, but now they are among my favourite composers. Trust me - you will eventually grow bored of music that doesn’t break harmonic traditions.

[@raulperez2308]

it's very likely that you're not used to hear such density and unorthodox structures in music; it's really not for everybody at first. for me it was the contrary tbh, i usually can't stand schubert...however i remember the first time i heard gaspard, when the first climax arrived i felt like i was sinking through earth; it's really beautiful to me.

[@zackl7467]

This is romantic

[@e.hutchence-composer8203]

@@TomCL-vb6xc you'll be happy to hear that throughout the COVID pandemic I have been expanding my library. Scriabin now rings in my ears rather frequently (the 4th, 5th and 9th Sonatas are particular favorites alongside The Poem of Ecstacy), I even performed one of his Preludes Op. 74 in one of my college classes. Profofiev is still a bit of a grey zone for me although I do enjoy his 2nd and 3rd Concertos as well as a couple of his piano sonatas. Ravel and Debussy have unfortunately not grown on me in the slightest. Although I didn't mention him in my original comment, Khachaturian is also very enjoyable and I am currently learning his Eb minor Toccata. Fauré too is a new favourite of mine and I massively believe that he isn't receiving the same amount of attention as other composers who 'break harmonic traditions' such as Scriabin, Ravel and Stravinsky. I would definitely recommend checking out his oeuvre as he has some wonderful pieces. However, other composers who don't 'break harmonic traditions' like you mentioned in your replying comment, have also grown on me. Names such as Borodin, Dvorak and Grieg are among them.

[@benjaminbeam5273]

Why Does he have to put ALL of his pieces in such annoying key signatures!?!?!?

[@SpaghettiToaster]

benjamin beam Probably because he liked the colors

[@meszian]

if you are still enough of a beginner to not be able to sight read all key signatures easily, you probably shouldnt even be bothering to try these pieces.

[@meszian]

and none of them are in the hardest key signature, C major.

[@toothlesstoe]

@@meszian You're joking, right?

[@meszian]

@@toothlesstoe not at All. C major is easily the hardest, the fingers use black keys as a frame of reference for the positioning of the hand, c major leaves you flying blind when playing very fast or contrapuntal stuff. Reading the music is the easiest part of these studies, actually playing them is infinitely more difficult. If you can't read gb major well, you almost definitely aren't good enough to master these pieces

[@ladivinafanatic]

Sofronitsky is much, much better than this.

[@mcrettable]

dang most of this music is just shit stains compared to his preludes haha. I really only liked the first and last ones.

[@QuoPacto]

Excuse you? Shit stains? Im sorry for everyone that has to read this utter bullshit.

[@dz6374]

Ur a shit stain compared to Scriabin

[@Whatismusic123]

Funny, 'cause his preludes are shit.

[@zanderzacken4576]

7:05

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

8:29