24 Preludes, Op. 11 (Scriabin)

Alexander Scriabin's 24 Preludes, Op. 11 is a set of preludes composed in the course of eight years between 1888–96,^{[n 1][1]} being also one of Scriabin's first published works with M.P. Belaieff in 1897,^{[n 2][1]} in Leipzig, Germany, together with his 12 Études, Op. 8 (1894–95).

Structural analysis

Scriabin's 24 preludes were modeled after Frédéric Chopin's own set of 24 Preludes, Op. 28: They also covered all 24 major and minor keys and they follow the same key sequence: C major, A minor, G major, E minor, D major, B minor and so on, alternating major keys with their relative minors, and following the ascending circle of fifths.

It is considered an outstanding twentieth-century stylish piece among Scriabin's early works, with easy-to-difficult numbers, among them No. 2 in A minor, No. 3 in G major, No. 6 in B minor, No. 8 in F-sharp minor, No. 14 in E-flat minor, No. 15 in D-flat major, No. 16 in B-flat minor, No. 18 in F minor, and No. 24 in D minor.^[2]

Tempo markings

No. 1 in C major – Vivace No. 2 in A minor – Allegretto No. 3 in G major – Vivo No. 4 in E minor – Lento No. 5 in D major – Andante cantabile No. 6 in B minor – Allegro No. 7 in A major – Allegro assai No. 8 in F-sharp minor – Allegro agitato No. 9 in E major – Andantino No. 10 in C-sharp minor – Andante No. 11 in B major – Allegro assai No. 12 in G-sharp minor – Andante

No. 13 in G-flat major – Lento No. 14 in E-flat minor – Presto No. 15 in D-flat major – Lento No. 16 in B-flat minor – Misterioso No. 17 in A-flat major – Allegretto No. 18 in F minor – Allegro agitato No. 19 in E-flat major – Affettuoso No. 20 in C minor – Appassionato No. 21 in B-flat major – Andante No. 22 in G minor – Lento No. 23 in F major – Vivo No. 24 in D minor – Presto Prélude Opus 11 No 9 E-major Andantino Performed by Axel Lange Problems playing this file? See media help. Prélude Opus 11 No 10 c-sharp minor Andante Performed by Axel Lange Problems playing this file? See media help.

Notes

1. Scriabin did not write the 24 preludes chronologically, but instead in different places over the course of eight years. Prelude No. 4 was written in Moscow in 1888, followed by No. 6 in 1889 in Kiev. No. 10 was written in 1893–4 in Moscow, and No. 14 in 1895 in Dresden. Nos. 3, 19, 24 in 1895 in Heidelberg, and Nos. 12, 17, 18 and 23 also in 1895 in Witznau. No. 5 was written in 1896 in Amsterdam, Nos. 8 and 22 also in 1896 in Paris, while Nos. 1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 21 were written that same year in Moscow.
2. Belyayev divided the preludes into four parts of six preludes each.

References

1. Hwa-Young, Lee (2006). Tradition and Innovation in the Twenty-Four Preludes, Opus 11, of Alexander Scriabin (PDF). University of Texas. p. 9.
2. Friskin, James; Freundlich, Irwin (1954). Music for the Piano: A Handbook of Concert and Teaching Material from 1580 to 1952. Courier Dover Publications. p. 241. ISBN 0486229181.

External links

• Preludes Op. 11 (Scriabin): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project