CHAPTER 2. The Pianistic Textures in Scriabin’s Twelve Etudes Op. 8 and the Influence of Chopin

Chapter 2. The Pianistic Textures in Scriabin’s Twelve Etudes Op. 8 and the Influence of Chopin

Many of Scriabin’s Etudes Op. 8 feature textures and pianistic devices which are

derived from Chopin’s piano writing. The Chopin Etudes were published in two sets,

each containing a dozen etudes. The Etudes Op. 10, dedicated to Franz Liszt, were

published in 1833 and the Etudes Op. 25 were published in 1837 and dedicated to Liszt’s mistress, Marie d’Agoult. 99 Min Joung Kim writes in his DMA dissertation on the

Chopin Etudes:

The Op. 10 is the work of a teenager before arriving Paris in 1831; and Op. 25 was produced in his twenties. At such a young age, he lifted the genre of etude to the highest level which even today is unparalleled in artistry, in balance of musical organization and technical challenges. Unlike his contemporaries, Chopin was apparently never interested in showmanship, and instead, he sought more poetic expression and imaginative and coloristic playing in such training pieces, eventually finishing them as character pieces.100

Schumann described hearing Chopin plays his own Etude in A-flat major, Op. 25, No. 1:

Imagine an Aeolian harp that had all the scales, and that these were jumbled together by the hand of an artist into sorts of fantastic ornaments, but in such a manner that a deeper fundamental tone and a softly-singing higher part were always audible,... the first one in A-flat major, which is rather a poem than an etude.101

The two sets of the Chopin Etudes are notable for the fact that while each of them focuses

on one particular technique and texture, the musical elements and the technical

difficulties of each are equal, thus transcending the idea of an etude as a mere technical

exercise. Quite a few of them are lyrical character pieces which do not emphasize

99 Min Joung Kim, “The Chopin Etudes: A Study Guide for Teaching and Learning Opus 10 and Opus 25”, DMA diss,. University of North Texas., December 2011, 36. 100 Ibid., 36. 101 Andreas Klein, “The Chopin Etudes: An Indispensable Pedagogical Tool for Developing Piano Technique”, Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms, 1989, 13.

mechanics, particularly Etudes Op. 10, Nos. 3 and 6, as well as Op. 25, Nos. 1 and 7.

Many of them are harmonically and contrapuntally advanced to a degree that they no

longer conform to the idea of an etude being a vehicle for developing a specific pianistic

technique. That being said, Chopin’s attention to voice leading and his preference for

harmonic exploration over any pianistic considerations result in etudes which place

unique technical demands on the pianist. The same is true for many of Scriabin’s Etudes

Op. 8.

When Chopin ventures into remote key areas, the pianistic comfort of the initial

texture often diminishes considerably. However, he does not alter the initial pianistic

texture of each etude. One notable example is the central section of his Etude in A minor,

Op. 10, No. 2 (Ex. 19).

Ex. 19. Chopin Etude in A minor, Op. 10, No. 2

In the example above, one can observe that as Chopin moves further from the

initial key area of A minor, several measures become exceedingly difficult to play due to

his meticulous attention to voice-leading. For instance, the low F in the right hand of m. 2

and the low G in the analogous m. 4 are necessary from the perspective of voice-leading,

as they resolve the leading tone in the preceding chord. Those notes (which are doubled

in the top voice and are not essential from a harmonic standpoint) are often omitted in

performance by pianists with smaller hands, in order to reduce the extreme difficulty of

those particular measures.

Scriabin, in his set of Twelve Etudes Op. 8, continued in the same vein as Chopin

but ventured even further harmonically. Furthermore, many of Scriabin’s Etudes Op. 8

are in ABA form and feature contrasting sections which deviate from the initial technical

device or texture of the work. Some of the etudes in this set are closer in design to many

of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes S. 139, as they often contain central “B sections” which

are no longer bound to the main pianistic figuration, texture or technical device of the etude.102

Scriabin’s Etude Op. 8, No. 1 in C-sharp major (Ex. 20 on the following page)

focuses on the pianistic challenge of playing repeated double notes smoothly, with large intervals in the left hand (which are often rolled in performance). 103 The choice of key

reveals Scriabin’s preference for tonal areas further away from C major in the circle of

fifths. Chopin’s Op. 10 set begins with an etude in C major. The first piece in Liszt’s

cycle of Twelve Transcendental Etudes is in C major, and the key-scheme of the set is

organized by descending thirds. Scriabin began his Op. 8 set in the “heightened” key of

102 First published as the Douze Grandes Études S. 137 in 1837 and later revised as the well-known Études d'exécution transcendante, S.139 in 1851. This is the case for Liszt Transcendental Etudes Nos. 4 and 8, which have extended lyrical middle-sections. It is important to note that the Transcendental Etudes No. 3, 9, and 11 could be better categorized as “concert pieces” rather than Etudes as they are not focused on training any specific pianistic device or texture. 103 Scriabin himself reportedly could not stretch more than a ninth, see Chapter 5.

C-sharp major. The thick texture of this work, full of non-harmonic notes and rapidly

changing harmonies, demands a mastery of the pedal. Note that the sequence of seventh

chords (Ex. 20) marks the beginning of Scriabin’s exploration of this kind of harmony, which would be taken to the extreme with the Mystic Chord in his late period works.104

This etude features an unchanging texture of the double-note repeated motive, followed

by a single note. Two-against-three cross-rhythms are also very prominent. In m. 17, the main textural/pianistic device is briefly transferred over to the left hand (see Ex. 21).105

Ex. 20. Scriabin Etude Op. 8, No. 1 in C major, beginning

Ex. 21. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 1, measures 15-17

The second etude in this cycle—Op. 8, No. 2 in F-sharp minor (Ex. 22) will be

analyzed in detail later on in this chapter—with regard to specific elements of Scriabin’s

harmony in his early period. The main pianistic difficulty in this etude is playing its cross

104 The “Mystic Chord” will be discussed in detail as it relates to the late period works. It sounds very much like a major-minor seventh chord with added note dissonances, yet does not function as such. 105 Chopin employs a similar device in his Etudes Op. 10 No. 4 (see pg. 46) and Op. 25 No. 11.

rhythms without sounding clunky and disjointed; significant demands are placed on the

pedaling technique and quality of tone. The left-hand writing is sprawling and often

ventures into the register of the right hand melody, which is a characteristic of Chopin’s

piano writing as well.

Ex. 22. Scriabin Etude in F-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 2

Thumb crossing (different than outright hand crossing) is a distinctive feature of

Chopin’s piano writing. A good example, one of many throughout his output is his

Prelude in A-flat major, Op. 28, No. 17 (Ex. 23 on the following page). Thumb crossings

are generally employed within a pianistic texture to maintain a consistent timbre within

each voice (note how the high E-flat in the left hand stays in that same register as the

thumbs overlap). Scriabin uses this device quite frequently, especially during his early

period.

Almost all his Etudes Op. 8 have textures and technical challenges which are

derivative of Chopin’s piano writing. In the early works, the unorthodox pianistic

figurations and chord spacing play a greater role in creating a distinctive “Scriabinesque”

sonority than any individual harmonic progression.

Ex. 23. Chopin Prelude in A-flat major, Op. 28, No. 17

Scriabin’s Etude in B minor, Op. 8, No. 3 (Ex. 24), features a consistent triplet

motive throughout. The main difficulty is smoothly managing all the thumb crossings

between the hands. Certain positions require the left hand to cross over the right, and

vice-versa. The exact placement of the shifts between those positions are a personal

choice of the performer, to be tailored for maximum comfort, and are not indicated in the score.106 Note that the figuration is arranged in groups of three notes, while the octave

doublings suggest a grouping in two notes, matching the shifts of the hand position.

Ex. 24. Scriabin Etude in B minor, Op. 8, No. 3

A similar example which features pianistic figuration going against the “natural”

rhythmic execution of the note-grouping can be found in Chopin’s Etude in F minor, Op.

25, No. 2 (see Ex. 25 on the following page). There, the right hand figuration is grouped

106 Liszt, in his original piano works and transcriptions, generally indicates which hand goes “over” during hand crossings, by writing sopra near the relevant notes. Chopin and Scriabin leave it up to the performer.

by three notes, yet the most natural (and far easier) rhythmical execution would have

been in groups of two notes, as it lines up each triplet quarter note in the left hand.

Ex. 25. Chopin Etude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2

Scriabin’s Etude Op. 8, No. 3 features a contrasting middle section in the relative

major (starting from m. 41, see Ex. 26). It contains new, slower-moving thematic material

in the right hand, while the left hand retains the initial figuration of the triplets with a

distinctive octave doubling. Many of Scriabin’s Etudes Op. 8 provide the performer with

an opportunity to rest from the particular technical challenge being employed in the work.

This is something which goes beyond Chopin’s treatment of material in his etudes, with

the exception of the Etude in B minor (Op. 25, No. 10), which also has an extended, contrasting middle section.107

Ex. 26. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 3, contrasting thematic material starting from m. 41

107 As mentioned earlier, this is more typical of Liszt’s Etudes than those of Chopin.

Scriabin’s preference for complex cross-rhythms—even in his early period

works—is apparent in the Etude in B major, Op. 8, No. 4 (Ex. 27). The widely-spaced

left hand figurations are typical of Scriabin’s (and Chopin’s) writing, especially in the

early and middle-period etudes.

Ex. 27. Scriabin Etude in B major, Op. 8, No. 4

The fifth etude in the set, in E major—marked Brioso (spirited), is more of a concert etude or a character piece rather than a typical etude.108 The main technical

difficulty is smoothing out all the rapid shifts between the registers while keeping the

pedaling clear throughout all the rapid harmonic changes. The widely-spaced left-hand

chords (rolled upwards) also present pedaling challenges for the pianist.

Ex. 28. Scriabin Etude in E major, Op. 8, No. 5

108 In the often-reprinted Skryabin, Polnoe sobranie sochinenii dlia fortepiano [Compete Piano Works], vol.1, Moscow: Muzgiz, 1947, Ed. Konstantin Igumnov and Yakov Milstein, there is a note indicating that the original tempo indication for this etude was in fact Allegro, which Scriabin later changed to Brioso.

In m. 17, there is a “B-section” in the relative minor (Ex. 29), with contrasting thematic

material in the left hand. The right hand now accompanies the melodic left hand line.

Ex. 29. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 5, the beginning of the B-section, mm. 17-20

A similar technique of inverting the texture can be found in Chopin’s Etude Op. 10, No. 4, also in C-sharp minor (Ex. 30). 109

Ex. 30. Chopin Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4

109 However, in the Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 4, the left hand takes up not only the texture of the right hand but also the main thematic material. It is in fact an example of invertible counterpoint.

In the Scriabin Etude Op. 8, No. 5, the return of the “A-section” features a

textural variation of the initial material (now with continuous right hand triplets), while

retaining the same registration as the beginning of the work.

Ex. 31. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 5, return of the “A-section”, starting in m. 33

This kind of rhythmic variation of the main thematic figuration in an etude (while

retaining the same contour and registration) can be found in Liszt’s Transcendental Etude

No. 4 Mazeppa (Ex. 32) and Chopin’s Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 25, No. 5.

Ex. 32. Liszt Transcendental Etude No. 4 Mazeppa, m. 7 thematic statement and subsequent variation in m. 114

Scriabin’s Etude in A major, Op. 8, No. 6 (See Ex. 33) is reminiscent of Chopin’s

Etude in D-flat major, Op. 25, No. 8 (Ex. 34).

Ex. 33. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 6

Ex. 34. Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 8

In both etudes, the right hand is composed entirely of double sixths, and the main

difficulty is playing the double notes so that they sound legato. However, in the Scriabin

Etude Op. 8, No. 6, the triplet rhythm is not continuous and the occasional two-against-

three cross-rhythms result in a greater textural complexity.

The seventh etude in the set, Op. 8, No. 7 in B-flat minor (Ex. 35), features widely

spaced triplet figurations in the left hand. The main difficulty is the frequent thumb-

crossing between the hands. It is often simplified in performance by taking the highest

note in the left hand and playing it as part of the right hand chord.

Ex. 35. Scriabin Etude Op. 8, No. 7

The left hand figurations are reminiscent of Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat

minor, Op. 35, first movement (Ex. 36), but Scriabin’s takes the texture further by employing a greater variety of register.110 In addition, Scriabin’s figurations are offset

from the melodic line in the right hand, and this is carefully indicated by Scriabin with his unusual beaming of notes across the bar line.111 Note that the left hand triplets in the

Scriabin (Ex. 35) consistently span more than an octave. This etude also features a

slower, contrasting middle section in G-flat major.

Ex. 36. Chopin Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35, first movement

110 There is also a somewhat similar use of rests in the right-hand melody. 111 A similar rhythmic displacement in the left hand figuration may be observed in Scriabin’s Etude in F-sharp minor, Op. 42 No. 2, to be discussed in detail in Chapter 3.

Scriabin’s Etude in A-flat major Op. 8, No. 8 (along with Op. 8 Nos. 3, 5, 7, 9)

also has a contrasting middle section (m. 17) in a new tempo (poco più vivo), and

different melodic characteristics (See Ex. 37 and Ex. 38).

Ex. 37. Scriabin Etude Op. 8, No. 8

Ex. 38. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 8, the contrasting middle section starting in m. 17

The main thematic material in this etude (Ex. 37) has a texture which is found

often in Chopin’s piano writing, notable for the independent treatment of the three voices

in the right hand, sometimes emphasized by a different articulation from the left hand

(see Ex. 39).

Ex. 39. Chopin Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49

One will notice that Scriabin’s strongest associations with Chopin’s piano textures

often occur in same tonal areas. This may indicate Scriabin’s deep knowledge of

Chopin’s output. It can also be related to keyboard topography and how certain tonalities

feel more comfortable for specific pianistic devices.

Scriabin’s Etude in G-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 9 (Ex. 40), features prominent

thumb crossings, and cross-rhythms. The metronome marking is indicated by Scriabin,

and the descriptive title of Alla ballata (in the style of a Ballade, a clear reference to Chopin) is added.112 It also has an extended middle section in A-flat major

(enharmonically the parallel major).

Ex. 40. Scriabin Etude in G-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 9

Ex. 41. Chopin Etude in B minor, Op. 25, No. 10

112 It was in fact Chopin, with his Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 (the first of 4 Ballades, composed 18311842), who established the Ballade as a piano solo genre. See Jonathan D. Bellman, Chopin’s Polish Ballade: Op. 38 as a Narrative of National Martyrdom, Oxford University Press, 2010, 52-56.

Octave passages with added held middle notes are also an unusual feature of

Chopin’s piano writing. Scriabin’s use of a similar pianistic device in this Etude (Ex. 40)

bears a strong similarity to the Chopin Etude in B minor, Op. 25, No. 10 (Ex. 41 on the

previous page). The main left hand octave figuration in Scriabin’s Etude Op. 8 No. 9 has

a repetitive circular motion, which is reminiscent of the middle section of Chopin’s

Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 (Ex. 42).

Ex. 42. Chopin Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53

Scriabin’s Etude in D-flat major, Op. 8, No. 10 (Ex. 43) is arguably the most

difficult to execute in the entire set. The mixed interval double notes combined with the

non-stop left hand leaps pose a significant pianistic challenge. The registral range of the

left hand writing goes far beyond Chopin’s textures. Notice how Scriabin often fills in the

main harmony of each measure down from the top note. This textural device is often

found in Scriabin’s late piano works, as will be observed in the analysis of his 3 Etudes

Op. 65 in Chapter 7.

Ex. 43. Scriabin Etude in D-flat major, Op. 8, No. 10

The return of the main material in m. 89 features octave doublings and added

leaps in the left hand which further increase the difficulty (Ex. 44). Small variants in the

return of the “A section” of works (yet, importantly, without the alternation of register in

the main melodic line) is something that can be frequently observed in Chopin’s piano works.113

Ex. 44. Scriabin Op. 8, No. 10, mm. 89-92

The penultimate etude of the set, Op. 8, No. 11 in B-flat minor (Ex. 45), typical of

Scriabin’s early writing, has frequent thumb crossing and requires mastery of pedal

technique. Notice the consistent voice-crossing between the lowest note in the right hand and the highest note in the left hand.114

Ex. 45. Scriabin Etude Op. 8, No. 11

113 Different from outright textural variations which alter register and rhythm, often found in the works of Franz Liszt. 114 See pages 2-3 for a similar example in another early Scriabin Etude: the Op. 2 No. 1.

Scriabin was likely influenced by the third movement Marche Funèbre (Ex. 46) from

Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35 (in the same key), which has

striking similarities in the texture and even the melodic characteristics.

Ex. 46. Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 35. Movement 3: Marche Funèbre

The last (and most famous) etude of the set—Op. 8, No. 12 in D-sharp minor—

features some extremely difficult writing for the left hand (see Ex. 47 on the following page). The left hand frequently goes above the lowest right-hand notes115, and has very prominent wide intervals on many of the downbeats, including tenths and elevenths.116

The main pianistic challenge is managing all the left-hand leaps smoothly and working

out a natural tempo rubato. The role of the pedal is extremely important in capturing all

the low bass notes; and extra care must be taken to fully clear the non-harmonic tones

from the preceding measures when changing the pedal.

115 This Etude is often simplified by pianists by taking the highest left-hand notes with the right hand, yet it is ill-advised to do so as it negatively impacts the natural rubato of the left hand. Scriabin’s unusual hand distribution play an important role in creating a distinctive sound. This is especially the case in the works of his early period. 116 The wide left hand intervals here are usually rolled in performance, including the famous Welte Reproducing Piano Roll made by Scriabin himself in 1910.

Ex. 47. Scriabin Etude in D-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 12

A comparison with Chopin is inevitable. The main thematic material (in the right

hand) bears a strong rhythmic resemblance to Chopin’s Etude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12

(Ex. 48).

Ex. 48. Chopin Etude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12

The next part of this chapter will focus on the specific elements of Scriabin’s

early period style, with a detailed analysis of his Etude in F-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 2.

While there are many textural similarities with Chopin’s piano works, certain unique

traits of Scriabin’s style were already established in his Etude Op. 8, No. 2.