Scriabin, Alexander : Deux poèmes Op.63
Work Overview
Composition Year:1911
Publication Year:1913
First Publisher:Édition russe de musique
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:character pieces
Total Playing Time:4 min 10 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Saitoh, Noriko
Last Updated: May 1, 2008
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Author : Saitoh, Noriko
Composed in 1912, this work consists of two relatively small-scale pieces, each just over 30 measures long, and each piece is given a title.
The First Piece: Mask
The first piece, Mask, is written in allegretto, 6/8 time, in ABA ternary form. It is based on the mystic chord, with variations introduced through whole-tone scale-like sonorities and superimposed perfect fourths. In this piece, the French markings, meaning "with hidden tenderness" → "mysteriously" → "whimsically," offer a glimpse into the "mysticism" in Scriabin's works.
The Second Piece: Strange
The second piece, Strange, is also written in 6/8 time and has an ABA’B’ binary structure. It is based on changing dominant ninth chords. However, it is noteworthy that the shape of these chords exhibits a sonic construction that anticipates the second mode of "modes of limited transposition" later proposed by Messiaen. In this piece, the French markings, meaning "elegantly, delicately" → "strangely, suddenly sharply" → "with false tenderness," offer a glimpse into the "mysticism" in Scriabin's works.
Scriabin classified his later works into "sacred" (represented by God) and "evil" (represented by the devil), and both of these pieces are considered to belong to the latter category. Nevertheless, as can be seen from the translations of the quoted French markings, "sacred" and "evil" are by no means clearly classifiable as a binary opposition.
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