Overview
Overview of 12 Études, Op. 8 by Aleksandr Scriabin
Composed: 1894–1895
Published: 1895 (first edition by Jurgenson, Moscow)
Dedication: To Madame Nathalie Scliar
Historical Context
Scriabin composed his Twelve Études, Op. 8 during his early period, when his musical language was heavily influenced by Chopin and Liszt. At this stage, Scriabin was developing his pianistic voice, blending Romantic expressiveness with increasing harmonic daring. The études were composed after his studies at the Moscow Conservatory, where he was a student of Sergei Taneyev and Vasily Safonov.
These études represent a significant consolidation of Scriabin’s virtuosity and emotional intensity, while hinting at his later evolution toward mysticism and harmonic innovation.
General Characteristics
Romantic tradition: Deeply rooted in the Romantic piano tradition, with clear influence from Chopin’s Études (Op. 10, Op. 25) and Liszt’s transcendental approach to the instrument.
Virtuosity: High technical demands, exploiting the full range of pianistic resources—rapid scales, arpeggios, double notes, large chords, wide leaps, and complex polyrhythms.
Poetic content: Each étude explores not only a technical aspect but also a specific emotional or atmospheric character, often intense, dramatic, or lyrical.
Harmonic boldness: While still tonal, Scriabin shows adventurous harmonic progressions, chromaticism, and early hints of his idiosyncratic harmonic colorism.
Expressive range: From lyrical melancholy to fiery passion, the set encompasses a wide expressive spectrum.
Structure of the Set
D♯ minor (Allegro) — Furious octaves and left-hand leaps.
F♯ minor (Allegro) — Tumultuous arpeggios and passionate outbursts.
B minor (Molto allegro) — Light, fleet, and playful but technically challenging.
B major (Piacevole) — Lyrical and singing, reminiscent of Chopin’s lyrical études.
E major (Affanato) — Restless, agitated, with turbulent inner voices.
A major (Con grazia) — Delicate, flowing, and tender.
A♭ major (Presto tenebroso) — Aggressive, dark, and driven.
A♭ major (Lento) — A poetic nocturne-like étude, very expressive.
G♯ minor (Allegro agitato) — Furious, with large chordal textures and intensity.
D♭ major (Allegro) — Brilliant and effervescent, filled with double notes.
B♭ minor (Andante cantabile) — Soulful and tragic, one of the most emotionally profound of the set.
D♯ minor (Patetico) — The most famous of the set; fiery and tragic, often performed as a standalone piece.
Importance
Transition work: Bridges the gap between Chopinesque Romanticism and Scriabin’s later, more mystical works.
Pianistic milestone: A cornerstone of Romantic piano repertoire, highly valued by pianists for both its technical challenge and rich expressive palette.
Early hints of modernism: While adhering to late-Romantic idioms, several études contain harmonic and structural elements foreshadowing his later atonal and mystic works.
Influence and Legacy
Frequently recorded and performed by leading pianists (Horowitz, Sofronitsky, Ashkenazy, Richter).
The 12 Études, Op. 8 remain one of Scriabin’s most popular and accessible works.
They serve as a vital pedagogical and concert repertoire for advanced pianists aiming to explore both the virtuosity and expressive depth of the Romantic tradition.
Characteristics of Music
1. As a Collection (Suite-like Aspects)
Although Op. 8 is not a suite in the Baroque sense, it forms a cyclical, cohesive set through shared stylistic traits, emotional trajectory, and tonal planning:
Varied emotional landscape: The études are arranged to alternate between tumultuous, lyrical, tragic, and ecstatic moods, creating a balanced emotional arc across the set.
Key scheme: The études move through related and contrasting keys, providing tonal variety while maintaining an overall cohesiveness—though there is no strict tonal plan as in Chopin’s Op. 10 or Op. 25.
Stylistic unity: Despite varied characters, the études share Scriabin’s early harmonic language, dense textures, and a Chopinesque lyricism colored by personal expression.
Pianistic integration: The études can be seen as a summation of Romantic virtuosity, covering most major technical challenges of the time (octaves, double notes, wide arpeggios, voicing, left-hand challenges, large leaps).
Inner poetic unity: A defining feature of Op. 8 is that technical challenges are always subservient to expressive aims—each étude conveys a distinct poetic image, often with psychological depth.
2. Individual Études – Common Musical Characteristics
While each étude explores different technical and expressive elements, the collection shows shared musical fingerprints:
a) Harmony
Chromaticism and modulations are frequent, with bold progressions, dominant tensions, diminished chords, and early signs of Scriabin’s personal harmonic colors (extended chords, altered dominants).
Use of rich Romantic harmonies, sometimes pushing the boundaries of tonality but never fully abandoning tonal centers.
Frequent unexpected modulations and enharmonic shifts, enhancing the emotional instability and mysticism.
b) Texture
Predominantly dense, multi-layered textures, including full chords, arpeggiations, and wide-spanned intervals.
Contrapuntal inner voices emerge in several études (e.g., Op. 8 No. 5 and No. 11), where the melodic line is embedded within thick textures.
Polyrhythms and cross-rhythms appear (triplets against duplets, complex rhythmic subdivisions).
c) Rhythm and Phrasing
Expressive rubato and flexible phrasing are essential for conveying the emotional depth.
Dramatic rhythmic drive (especially in No. 1, 2, 9, 12) creates a sense of agitation and forward momentum.
Syncopations and off-beat accents enhance tension and turbulence.
d) Melody
Often highly lyrical, cantabile lines, even in the most technically challenging études.
Melodies are frequently chromatic and ornamented, sometimes fragmented or hidden within textures.
In the lyrical études (No. 4, 6, 8, 11), the melody floats above a harmonically rich accompaniment, demanding delicate voicing.
e) Dynamics and Expressivity
Marked extreme dynamic contrasts, from whispered pianissimo to explosive fortissimo.
Patetico, Affanato, Tenebroso, and other expressive markings point to psychological states, a hallmark of Scriabin’s emotional symbolism.
Use of sudden crescendi, diminuendi, and expressive accents to heighten dramatic effect.
3. General Mood and Aesthetic Features
Darkness, yearning, ecstasy, and despair permeate the set, reflecting Scriabin’s introspective and passionate nature.
Even the lyrical études often have an undercurrent of tension or melancholy, reflecting an early Romantic decadence.
Emerging mysticism: In some études, especially No. 8 and No. 11, one can sense the early stages of Scriabin’s mystic philosophy—though still within a Chopinesque framework.
Summary Table of Musical Traits Across the Set
Trait Description
Harmony Rich, chromatic, bold modulations
Texture Dense, layered, contrapuntal lines
Rhythm Agitated, polyrhythmic, syncopated
Melody Lyrical, expressive, chromatic, hidden voicings
Dynamics Wide dynamic range, sudden contrasts, highly expressive
Mood Dramatic, passionate, introspective, mystical elements begin to emerge
Technical Demands Full range of Romantic piano techniques, often combined with expressive requirements
Analysis, Tutoriel, Interpretation & Importants Points to Play
🎼 Complete Guide: Scriabin – 12 Études, Op. 8
No. 1 in D♯ minor (Allegro)
Analysis
Form: ABA’ + Coda.
Key: D♯ minor.
Character: Impassioned, furious, driven by relentless octaves and wide left-hand leaps.
Texture: Continuous octave right-hand figures, left-hand arpeggios and leaps.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Secure octave technique (fingers 1 and 5 relaxed but controlled).
Left-hand leaps must be rhythmically accurate and anticipate the next position.
Practice hands separately slowly, focusing on left-hand placement.
Use wrist flexibility and forearm rotation for right-hand octaves.
Interpretation Tips
Express the emotional urgency and tragic tone—imagine a storm.
Highlight inner voices when they appear within the right-hand octaves.
Use subtle rubato at arrival points but keep the inner pulse steady.
No. 2 in F♯ minor (Allegro)
Analysis
Form: Ternary (ABA’).
Key: F♯ minor.
Character: Agitated, urgent, with cascading arpeggios and chromaticism.
Texture: Right-hand rapid arpeggios, dramatic chords, syncopated left-hand.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Practice broken arpeggios with relaxed hand and arm motion.
Balance between hands is crucial—avoid over-projecting the right hand.
Use pedal carefully to connect broken chords without blurring.
Interpretation Tips
Emphasize the constant unrest—the music breathes heavily.
Highlight dynamic contrasts between turbulent and lyrical sections.
No. 3 in B minor (Molto allegro)
Analysis
Form: Ternary.
Key: B minor.
Character: Fleet, scherzando-like.
Texture: Light right-hand figures against syncopated left-hand chords.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Use fingertip articulation and leggiero touch in the right hand.
Pay attention to left-hand rhythmic stability, keep it light yet present.
Play without pedal first, ensuring clarity.
Interpretation Tips
Aim for a delicate, playful atmosphere, almost mocking in tone.
Maintain elastic phrasing and nimbleness.
No. 4 in B major (Piacevole)
Analysis
Form: Song-form.
Key: B major.
Character: Lyrical, graceful, expressive.
Texture: Singing melody over arpeggiated accompaniment.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Melody must sing above the accompaniment—separate the hands in dynamic control.
Use deep, rounded tone for the melody.
Pedal to blend but not obscure the bass line and middle voices.
Interpretation Tips
Think bel canto singing style.
Shape phrases with natural breathing, giving them tenderness.
No. 5 in E major (Affanato)
Analysis
Form: ABA.
Key: E major.
Character: Restless, suffocated.
Texture: Intertwined chromatic figures.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Careful voicing of inner moving lines.
Use wrist and arm flexibility for chromatic passages.
Avoid over-pedaling; let the harmonies breathe.
Interpretation Tips
Convey a sense of psychological suffocation and claustrophobia.
Dynamics must swell and recede like waves of unease.
No. 6 in A major (Con grazia)
Analysis
Form: ABA.
Key: A major.
Character: Graceful, flowing.
Texture: Running arpeggios with embedded melody.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Isolate melody and accompaniment in practice.
Practice slow rotations for right-hand arpeggios.
Maintain hand shape stability in wide arpeggios.
Interpretation Tips
Light, floating atmosphere, elegant.
Play with buoyant phrasing and pastel colors.
No. 7 in A♭ major (Presto tenebroso)
Analysis
Form: Free.
Key: A♭ major.
Character: Demonic, dark.
Texture: Explosive chords, aggressive octaves, eerie harmonies.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Secure octave control—avoid tension.
Manage powerful, clean chord attacks.
Pedal carefully to manage resonance.
Interpretation Tips
Embody darkness and violence.
Use dramatic silence and sudden outbursts.
No. 8 in A♭ major (Lento)
Analysis
Form: Ternary.
Key: A♭ major.
Character: Poetic, dreamlike.
Texture: Lyrical right-hand melody, lush harmonies.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Focus on deep voicing of melody.
Control the pedal finely—aim for shimmering resonance.
Pianissimo control is vital.
Interpretation Tips
Think of an introspective nocturne, ethereal and mysterious.
Use time and subtle rubato for expressive breathing.
No. 9 in G♯ minor (Allegro agitato)
Analysis
Form: ABA + Coda.
Key: G♯ minor.
Character: Stormy, passionate.
Texture: Thick chordal writing, wide leaps.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Precision in chord attacks, despite speed.
Use wrist flexibility for leaps and chord changes.
Balance thick textures carefully, avoiding harshness.
Interpretation Tips
Convey inner turmoil and passion.
Allow emotional peaks to erupt naturally, not mechanically.
No. 10 in D♭ major (Allegro)
Analysis
Form: Ternary.
Key: D♭ major.
Character: Brilliant, radiant.
Texture: Rapid double notes, right-hand focus.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Double note scales must be evenly articulated.
Light wrist rotation and minimal finger pressure.
Practice slowly and hands separately first.
Interpretation Tips
Sparkling and joyful like a dancing jewel.
Maintain clarity at all times.
No. 11 in B♭ minor (Andante cantabile)
Analysis
Form: ABA.
Key: B♭ minor.
Character: Tragic, elegiac.
Texture: Singing melody, dense harmonies.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Melody must be voiced with warmth and sorrow.
Careful pedal management to avoid muddy textures.
Control of long lines and phrasing.
Interpretation Tips
Let the music weep inwardly, never becoming exaggerated.
Think of a slow funeral procession.
No. 12 in D♯ minor (Patetico)
Analysis
Form: Free form with repeated thematic statements.
Key: D♯ minor.
Character: Furious, tragic climax of the set.
Texture: Octaves, chords, driving rhythm.
Tutorial & Technical Focus
Solid octave technique, combining power and agility.
Left-hand leaps must be practiced with precision and economy of movement.
Balance hands carefully during the climactic passages.
Interpretation Tips
Give it raw, emotional intensity, as if the world is collapsing.
Do not rush the lyrical interludes—they offer fleeting hope.
🌟 Overall Important Points When Playing the Complete Op. 8
Technical demands must always serve the poetic idea.
Dynamic and voicing control are critical throughout.
Use flexible rubato to shape the music, avoid mechanical playing.
Listen deeply to harmonic colors—Scriabin’s harmonies demand awareness of tension and release.
Pedaling must be transparent, varied, and sensitive.
Explore psychological depth, not just technical brilliance.
Étude No. 12 in D♯ minor “Patetico”
Étude No. 12 in D♯ minor, Op. 8 by Aleksandr Scriabin
(“Patetico”)
Overview
Étude No. 12 is the culminating and most famous piece of Scriabin’s 12 Études, Op. 8.
It is a stormy, passionate, and heroic work that captures the essence of Russian late Romanticism, tinged with Scriabin’s unique harmonic language.
Often referred to by the nickname “Patetico”, this étude is full of tragic grandeur and sweeping gestures, making it a favorite encore and showpiece among virtuoso pianists.
Scriabin composed this étude during a period of intense emotional and physical turmoil, including his right-hand injury. Many see Étude No. 12 as an act of defiance and triumph over weakness and suffering.
Musical Analysis
Form
Simple ternary form (A–B–A’) with coda.
The A section (D♯ minor) presents the main tragic theme in octaves and double notes, accompanied by thunderous left-hand arpeggios.
The B section (F♯ major, relative major) offers a lyrical, almost yearning melody, though still underlined by agitation and unease.
The return of the A section is even more intense, with richer textures and heightened pathos, leading to a powerful, climactic coda.
Texture and Technical Features
Massive, thick textures.
Left hand: powerful, sweeping arpeggios that require great control and stamina.
Right hand: octaves, chords, double notes, requiring strength and precision.
Tremendous coordination between the hands is essential, especially with overlapping rhythms and accents.
Harmony
Based firmly in D♯ minor, but enriched with chromaticism, enharmonic modulations, and sudden surges of ambiguous, lush harmonies.
The harmonic progression, while Romantic, already hints at Scriabin’s later explorations into extreme chromaticism and harmonic tension.
Character
Heroic, tragic, defiant, and passionate.
The pathos is emphasized by the relentless driving rhythm, heavy syncopation, and massive climaxes.
Interpretation Tips
Don’t only play loud—the étude is about emotional depth, not just volume.
Think of the narrative of struggle against fate or inner turmoil.
The A section should feel like a monologue from a tragic hero—bold, but desperate.
The B section should sing, but with underlying restlessness, like a memory of peace rather than true comfort.
Bring out the architecture of the piece—build the climaxes carefully, avoid peaking too early.
Use rubato to enhance the expressive arch, especially during transitions and the lyrical section.
Technical Practice Points
Left-hand arpeggios:
Practice slowly, focusing on evenness and strength without tension.
Use rotational movements rather than brute force.
Right-hand octaves and double notes:
Work on relaxed wrist octaves, with special attention to avoiding stiffness at climaxes.
Isolate chord passages and practice voice-leading the top melody carefully.
Balancing textures:
The inner voices often get buried—bring them out when they have expressive value, especially in the B section.
Stamina and pacing:
Avoid exhausting yourself at the start. The ending coda needs reserves of power and intensity.
Pedaling:
Use half-pedaling and flutter-pedaling techniques to manage the thick harmonies without blurring.
Trivia and Reception
Most performed of the Op. 8 études, it has been recorded by Horowitz, Richter, Sofronitsky, Ashkenazy, and many others.
It is often considered Scriabin’s answer to Chopin’s “Revolutionary Étude”, but with more tragic desperation than fiery triumph.
The opening theme became iconic in Russia, sometimes associated with heroic Soviet imagery, though this was never Scriabin’s intent.
History
Scriabin’s 12 Études, Op. 8 were composed between 1894 and 1895, a formative period in the young composer’s life when his career as both a pianist and composer was gaining momentum. At this time, Scriabin was in his early twenties, freshly graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied piano under Vasily Safonov and composition with Sergei Taneyev and Anton Arensky. The Études reflect not only his rapidly developing pianistic prowess but also his desire to carve out his own expressive language within the Romantic tradition.
Scriabin was heavily influenced by Frédéric Chopin, whose Études, Preludes, and Nocturnes deeply impacted his early works. The Op. 8 études are often viewed as Scriabin’s homage to Chopin, but with a Russian soul and a personal touch of emotional extremity and intensity. They showcase an artist who was both a virtuoso pianist and a burgeoning mystic, though at this early stage, his mystical tendencies were still embryonic and filtered through late Romantic aesthetics.
This collection became one of Scriabin’s first widely recognized works, helping to establish his reputation not only in Russia but also across Europe. The études were written during a period of personal and artistic turmoil, as Scriabin suffered from a debilitating injury to his right hand caused by over-practicing Liszt and Balakirev’s demanding piano works. This injury, which temporarily threatened his performing career, deeply influenced his view of music, inspiring him to compose piano works that were both technically challenging and imbued with an intense, almost psychological and spiritual urgency.
The Op. 8 études reflect this inner conflict and passion. They are not merely mechanical studies; rather, they are expressive miniatures, each a self-contained world of emotion, often veiled in melancholy, turbulence, and ecstatic yearning. Some of them—especially the most famous, No. 12 in D♯ minor—would go on to become cornerstones of the Romantic piano repertoire, frequently appearing in the programs of pianists like Vladimir Horowitz, Sviatoslav Richter, and Vladimir Sofronitsky.
Though the Op. 8 études are still rooted in tonal structures and Chopinesque lyricism, they also show the first signs of Scriabin’s adventurous harmonic explorations, particularly in the use of chromaticism, modulations to distant keys, and lush textures. This marks them as a bridge between his early Romantic idiom and his later symbolist and mystical works, where tonality would dissolve into Scriabin’s visionary harmonic language.
Thus, the 12 Études, Op. 8 represent both a culmination of Scriabin’s early Romantic phase and the seeds of his later innovations. They are a testament to his personal struggles, his artistic ambitions, and his quest to fuse virtuosic brilliance with poetic, often tortured introspection.
Popular Piece/Book of Collection at That Time?
Yes, Scriabin’s 12 Études, Op. 8 became quite popular both in Russia and internationally shortly after their publication, especially among pianists seeking new, technically brilliant, and emotionally intense repertoire.
Was Op. 8 popular at the time?
Indeed, the collection helped establish Scriabin’s early reputation as a composer of piano music of both virtuosity and depth. The pieces were quickly taken up by Russian virtuosos, as well as pianists in Western Europe, who were drawn to their combination of Lisztian and Chopinesque elements, tinged with Scriabin’s distinct harmonic and emotional language.
No. 12 in D♯ minor (Patetico), in particular, became almost immediately the most popular of the set, often performed as an encore by concert pianists for its dramatic effect and technical brilliance. Even during Scriabin’s lifetime, this étude was performed and recorded more than any other from the set, becoming a kind of “calling card” piece for young virtuosos.
Did the sheet music sell well?
While specific sales figures for the early editions of Op. 8 are scarce, it is known that the first edition, published by Mitrofan Belyayev’s publishing house in Leipzig in 1895, sold steadily and gained attention in both Russia and abroad. Belyayev was one of the most important music publishers in Russia at the time, supporting many composers including Glazunov, Lyadov, and Rimsky-Korsakov, and his influence helped promote Scriabin’s works internationally.
By the early 1900s, the 12 Études had become standard pieces in the repertoire of advanced pianists, alongside Chopin and Liszt études, both as virtuosic showpieces and expressive concert works.
Important context
The late 19th century was a golden era for piano étude publications, where composers like Liszt, Moszkowski, and Rachmaninoff were all contributing to the genre. Scriabin’s Op. 8 entered a thriving market but managed to distinguish itself due to its distinctive harmonic richness and its Russian emotional temperament, which appealed to audiences and pianists seeking something both familiar and fresh.
Thus, we can say that:
Yes, the collection was successful and contributed significantly to Scriabin’s early fame.
The études became part of the high-level repertoire quickly.
The sheet music, especially through Belyayev’s networks, found its way to many conservatories and private studios.
Episodes & Trivia
1. Injury That Sparked Creation
One of the most significant and personal episodes tied to Op. 8 is that Scriabin composed many of these études during and after his serious right-hand injury, which he sustained from over-practicing works by Liszt, Balakirev (Islamey), and others.
The injury (likely a repetitive strain injury) forced Scriabin to focus intensely on left-hand technique for a time and contributed to his obsession with technical mastery and overcoming physical limitations.
This struggle is mirrored in several études from Op. 8, which demand extreme independence and strength from both hands, possibly as a way of proving to himself that he had conquered his injury.
2. The “Hit” Étude No. 12
Étude No. 12 in D♯ minor became Scriabin’s first true “hit”. It was so widely performed that even pianists who did not play the full set would often include No. 12 in recitals, making it one of the most recognized piano pieces in Russia and beyond.
Scriabin himself would frequently play No. 12 as an encore, and it became almost synonymous with his name among the general public.
Some contemporaries jokingly referred to it as Scriabin’s “Funeral March”, due to its heavy, tragic character.
3. Pianist’s Rite of Passage
In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the 12 Études, Op. 8 became a standard test piece in conservatories, especially No. 12, which was often used as a rite of passage for young pianists. Playing it successfully was considered a sign of pianistic maturity and emotional depth.
4. Early Mysticism Hinted
Although Op. 8 is stylistically grounded in the Romantic idiom, Scriabin was already experimenting with music as a medium of ecstatic transcendence.
Scriabin wrote in his notebooks at the time about the power of music to “ignite the soul” and “release inner flames,” ideas which he would fully develop later in his life.
The turbulent, yearning climaxes in several études, such as No. 5 and No. 8, show early glimpses of the mystical ecstasy that would define his later works.
5. Horowitz and Sofronitsky Favorites
Vladimir Horowitz often performed the Op. 8 études in his youth, especially No. 12, No. 4, and No. 2, considering them brilliant vehicles for technical display and emotional outpouring.
Vladimir Sofronitsky, one of the most poetic Scriabin interpreters, was particularly fond of Étude No. 3 and No. 9, which he played with a dreamlike, improvisatory tone, revealing their lyrical, almost mystical side.
6. First Steps Toward Harmonic Revolution
Though these études are tonal, Scriabin’s use of chromaticism, unexpected modulations, and ambiguous harmonies in Op. 8 was seen by some as shocking at the time, foreshadowing his later radical harmonic language.
Étude No. 7 in B♭ minor, with its dissonant, harsh textures and turbulent energy, was viewed by some critics as almost “futuristic” and ahead of its time.
7. A Complex Relationship with Chopin
Though Scriabin admired Chopin, he later distanced himself from being called “the Russian Chopin”, feeling that his music transcended Chopin’s emotional world.
Ironically, Op. 8 is the collection where the Chopin influence is most pronounced, especially in the lyrical études (like No. 4 and No. 11), but infused with a Russian intensity and fevered passion that made them distinctly Scriabin’s.
Similar Compositions
Here are similar compositions to Scriabin’s 12 Études, Op. 8, in terms of style, pianistic demands, and expressive content, from both his contemporaries and predecessors, as well as later composers who were influenced by this type of writing:
1. Frédéric Chopin – Études, Op. 10 and Op. 25
Direct influence on Scriabin.
Both sets are the archetypes of Romantic piano études: each piece is both a technical challenge and a poetic miniature.
Scriabin’s Op. 8 shows a clear debt to Chopin’s lyrical and virtuosic models, especially in its use of chromaticism, cantabile writing, and rich textures.
2. Franz Liszt – Transcendental Études, S.139
Another strong influence on Scriabin’s pianistic writing.
These études combine extreme technical difficulty with orchestral textures and visionary poetry, much like Scriabin’s Op. 8, though Liszt’s are more overtly grandiose and narrative.
Études like “Appassionata,” “Mazeppa,” and “Chasse-Neige” mirror the stormy and dramatic character of Scriabin’s Études Nos. 5, 7, and 12.
3. Sergei Rachmaninoff – Études-Tableaux, Op. 33 and Op. 39
Though written later (1911–1917), these études also fuse virtuosic challenges with deep emotional content and rich harmonies.
Rachmaninoff, like Scriabin, uses the étude as a psychological and expressive journey, not just a technical exercise.
Op. 39 in particular shows dark, dramatic qualities reminiscent of Scriabin’s more turbulent études (e.g., No. 12).
4. Leopold Godowsky – Studies on Chopin’s Études
Highly advanced, virtuosic, and idiosyncratic études that push pianistic boundaries beyond Chopin and Scriabin.
Godowsky’s reworkings often create dense textures and harmonic adventures, similar to Scriabin’s layering and chromatic complexity in Op. 8.
5. Claude Debussy – Études (1915)
Though stylistically different, Debussy’s Études share with Scriabin’s Op. 8 the desire to expand the étude genre into impressionistic and textural explorations, making the pianist engage with new sonorities.
Debussy was aware of Scriabin’s music and admired its harmonic audacity.
6. Alexander Scriabin – Études, Op. 42 (1903)
Scriabin’s own later étude set, showing a more advanced, harmonically ambiguous, and mystical style, moving away from the Chopinesque elements of Op. 8.
Op. 42 represents the bridge to Scriabin’s middle period and his mystical phase.
7. Nikolai Medtner – Forgotten Melodies, Op. 38 and other piano cycles
Medtner, a contemporary of Scriabin, wrote deeply emotional and technically demanding piano works that explore Russian lyrical intensity and harmonic depth.
While more classical in form, Medtner’s pieces share Scriabin’s spiritual depth and pianistic richness.
8. Alexander Scriabin – Preludes, Op. 11
Composed slightly before Op. 8, these preludes already show Scriabin’s emotional and harmonic complexity, but in a shorter, more concentrated form.
Many pianists see Op. 11 as the poetic counterpart to the more dramatic Op. 8 Études.
(This article was generated by ChatGPT. And it’s just a reference document for discovering music you don’t know yet.)
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