The Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp major, Op. 30, was written by Alexander Scriabin around 1903 and first published in 1904. It consists of two movements, Andante and Prestissimo volando, and is one of Scriabin's shortest piano sonatas (a typical performance takes about 8 minutes). The sonata is generally considered to be the beginning of Scriabin's middle period due to the newly mystical sonorities and tonal ambiguity of the first movement.^[1] It remains one of the most performed of Scriabin's sonatas.^[2]

Stylistic traits

The sonata is written in a post-Romantic style, similar to Scriabin's other works of the time. The first movement, expressive and calm, is monothematic (based on a single theme). The second movement, celebratory and climactic, starts attacca right after the Andante movement.

A more Romantic idea is the use of cyclic form in restating the Andante’s main theme (dolcissimo) as the ecstatic climax of the Prestissimo volando movement (Focosamente, giubiloso). This outlay appears closely related to the last two movements from the 3rd sonata, also linked by an attacca, where the climax of the finale likewise restates the lyrical Andante theme of the third movement. Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff often restated the lyric theme of the finale movement as climactic coda (for example in the piano concertos). Scriabin instead returns to the 'slow' movement's theme, and this may have led to further experiments with a condensation of form in the single-movement 5th sonata where the climax (estatico) is again a restatement of the Languido theme (dolcissimo).

Background

Scriabin wrote a poem after composing this sonata that explains its meaning:^[3]

References

External links

• Piano Sonata No. 4 (Scriabin): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project