Scriabin: 5 Preludes, Op.16

Introduction

The Five Preludes, Op. 16 (1894-1895) are among those works from the early stages of Scriabin's career that clearly demonstrate a debt to the music of Chopin and Liszt. Both Chopin and Liszt exerted a palpable influence over the young composer up to about 1900, by which time he had evolved a distinctive musical voice into which he was to soon incorporate mysticism and more radical compositional methods.

The first of the Five Preludes, marked Andante, presents a beautiful theme in the post-Romantic vein without divulging any obvious influences. There are, probably more by coincidence than by imitation, hints of Rachmaninov in the prelude's lushness and in the character of its flow. The second prelude, marked Allegro, begins with a sort of stutter-step motive that the composer cleverly converts into a theme of nervous beauty and great passion. The third prelude, marked Andante cantabile, has a Lisztian religiosity in its solemn manner, while the fourth, marked Lento, transforms the mood of the third into a more earth-bound ponderousness. The half-minute-long fifth prelude, marked Allegretto, dispels the solemnity, bringing the set to a close with a fleeting brightness.

Parts/Movements

1. No. 1, in B major
2. No. 2, in G sharp minor
3. No. 3, in G flat major
4. No. 4, in E flat minor
5. No. 5, in F sharp major