Scriabin Sonata-Fantasy op. 19 n. 2 on record : a comparative study of sound recordings and piano rolls

• Main Author: Kounadi, Anna
• Published: Goldsmiths College (University of London) 2016
• Subjects: 786.2
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.685962

Since the advent of the record, more than forty recordings of the Scriabin Sonata-Fantasy op. 19 n. 2 have been produced, as well as two piano rolls, with Igumnov (1911) and the composer himself performing the work (1910). This thesis sets out to analyse the evolution of performance style of this work within the last two centuries, using numerical values and music analysis software, in search of a verifiable analysis of performance traits. This study aims to detect strategies and techniques that performers of the work have used to form their performances. Observation is oriented to register long-scale and short-scale performance details, which are equally valuable in one’s preparation when practising a musical work. The actual sound of the sonata has been primarily assessed. The sonata is secondarily viewed as music text (Belaieff edition) and simultaneously compared to Scriabin’s own recorded performance on piano roll, which is valid only to a certain extent, due to recording technical impediments. The final goal of this research is to bring to light some neglected or merely underrated pianistic techniques, so as to inform the contemporary performer on different possibilities of expression. This experimentation could result in a richer musical language.