Scriabin's Sonate-fantaisie, dedicated to Natalia Sekerina, includes massive chords with stretches up to a twelfth, which he likely executed with artifice due to his small hands.
Critical Reception
At the time of his death in 1915 and for about a decade afterward, Scriabin exerted a powerful influence on musicians and artists, including Rachmaninov and Prokofiev.
Composition History
In 1894, Scriabin made his concert pianist debut and was commissioned by music publisher Mitrofan Belyayev, who paid him double the usual rate.
Composer Biography
Scriabin was a precocious pianist, matching Rachmaninov in virtuosity when they were both pupils of Nikolai Zverev.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Scriabin's unrealized magnum opus, Mysterium, was planned as a week-long artistic celebration in the Himalayas to stimulate all senses and dissolve the world into bliss.
Performer Biography
Soyeon Kate Lee, the pianist on this album, is a first prize winner of the 2010 Naumburg International Piano Competition and the 2004 Concert Artist Guild International Competition.
