Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 09/28/2004, uploaded on 01/09/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Sonata No.2, Op.19 "Sonata-Fantasy"     Alexander Scriabin

Andante; Presto

Alexander Scriabin's music demonstrates the experimentation of the early twentieth century, though it never loses the original, sensuous, and mystical sound that was his own unique language. His ten piano sonatas, which form the core of his creative output, chronicle the evolution of his musical world from Chopinesque (in the first sonata) to the enigmatic complex textures and structures of the tenth sonata. The second sonata, subtitled "Sonata-Fantasy", is a sophisticated and memorable work of his early period. Lush, ravishing harmonies, the exploration of varying color and sonorities, and his infinite search for innovative technical means, all demonstrate Scriabin's compositional desire to further explore the range of the piano. Scriabin wrote about the piece: "The first section represents the quiet of a southern night on the seashore; the development is the dark agitation of the deep, deep sea. The middle section, in E Major, shows caressing moonlight coming up after the first darkness of night. The second movement represents the vast expanse of ocean in stormy agitation".   Grace Nikae

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.