Program:
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 1 in f minor, Op. 2, No. 1
from
- Claude Frank, piano
()
- RCA
- Alexander Scriabin
Piano Sonata No. 1 in f minor, Op. 6
from
- Ruth Laredo, piano
()
- Nonesuch
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-sharp, Op. 78
from
- Claude Frank, piano
()
- RCA
- Alexander Scriabin
Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp, Op. 30
from
- Ruth Laredo, piano
()
- Nonesuch
- Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 32 in c minor, Op. 111
from
- Claude Frank, piano
()
- RCA
- Alexander Scriabin
Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70
from
- Ruth Laredo, piano
()
- Nonesuch
A comparison of the parallel journeys of Beethoven and Scriabin, as explored through the lens of the Piano Sonata. Starting with their first sonatas--Beethoven's f minor from 1795 and Scriabin's f minor from 1892--and moving through middle-period works--Beethoven's F-sharp Major from 1809 and Scriabin's F-Sharp Major from 1903--and finally reaching Beethoven's last sonata, the c minor from 1822, and Scriabin's last, the keyless Op. 70 from 1913--we explored questions of inspiration, transformation, and spiritual transcendence. Especially notable are the fountains of trills in both composers' last sonatas; it is as though both could not keep their feet on the ground. Both musics explode with vivacious and trilly spirituality. Scriabin's words: "My Tenth Sonata is a sonata of insects. Insects are born from the sun...They are the kisses of the sun."
Department:
