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Romantic · prelude

Prelude in B major, Op. 16 No. 1 (Andante)

Alexander Scriabin · Level 6, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

Prelude in B major, Op. 16 No. 1 (Andante) is a prelude by Alexander Scriabin from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 6, an estimate.

On this page
  • prelude
  • Romantic
  • gentle

Also known as Préludes opus 16 - 1..

History

Written in Moscow in 1894, this prelude holds a sustained harmonic foundation beneath an ascending melody, in Nicholls's analysis.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. A bass pickup begins a lower introduction

    The short bass entry leads into two upper-rest units. Hear the lower movement prepare the song that follows.

  2. Inner voices change the response

    The upper phrase receives altered answers with added inner movement. Listen within the held melody to those quieter changes.

  3. A higher answer repeats

    The later higher response recurs within the continuing phrase. Hear its larger direction rather than separate identical accents.

  4. The bass continues after the upper release

    Held closing chords settle while the lower tie reaches the last upper-rest unit. Listen below the gap to the remaining sound.

How to practise it

Rest before later upper phrase; hidden scaled lower rhythm.

  1. Count the opening silence and prepare the later upper phrase separately.

How hard is it

Level 6, estimated

A long melodic phrase must stay clear above widely moving broken-chord accompaniment. Triplet figures and independent layers make balance and timing more demanding than the slow heading suggests.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Alexander Scriabin, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Collection
The prelude gallery
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Préludes opus 16 - 1.” by A. Scriabin (1872 to 1915). Mutopia edition maintained by Philippe Hézaine. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=759. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/. Changes to the supplied file: none; any later conversion or edit must be disclosed separately.

More by Alexander Scriabin

  1. Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 16 No. 4 (Lento)Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2 No. 1Level 6, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Two Pieces, Op. 59: No. 2, PreludeLevel 7, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Rest before later upper phrase; hidden scaled lower rhythm.

Practise it in PlayPiano