Piano Sonata No. 9 (Scriabin)
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 (unlike the nickname White Mass given to his Seventh Sonata), he approved of it.
Structure and content
The ninth sonata is a single movement. It typically lasts 8–10 minutes, and is marked as follows:
- Moderato quasi andante – Molto meno vivo – Allegro molto – Alla marcia – Allegro – Presto – Tempo primo
Like Scriabin's other late works, the piece is highly
Like Scriabin's other sonatas, it is both technically and musically highly demanding for the pianist, sometimes extending to three staves as opposed to the standard two used in piano music.
Recordings
One of Scriabin's better-known works, the ninth sonata has been recorded and performed extensively, notably by Vladimir Horowitz, Vladimir Sofronitsky, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sviatoslav Richter, Andrej Hoteev,[2] Garrick Ohlsson, Burkard Schliessmann and Pietro Scarpini.
Notes
- ^ a b c (1997), Ashkenazy notes, p6
- ^ Discographie Archived 2014-11-06 at the Wayback Machine
References
- "Alexander Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas". Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas (CD liner). Vladimir Ashkenazy. Decca. 1997. pp. 5–7.
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External links
- Sonata No. 9 (Scriabin): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project