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Romantic · prelude

Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 16 No. 4 (Lento)

Alexander Scriabin · Level 5, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 16 No. 4 (Lento) is a prelude by Alexander Scriabin from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 5, an estimate.

On this page
  • prelude
  • Romantic
  • melancholic

Also known as Préludes opus 16 - 4..

History

Composed in St Petersburg in 1895, according to Nicholls, this miniature uses three-bar phrases joined beneath a single slur.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. Two melodic calls receive a detached answer

    The opening calls begin without bass, then meet a short chord response. Hear their different lengths within one phrase.

  2. Changed calls add a sustained inner layer

    The next calls overlap an inner voice before another detached response. Listen within the held sound for the added strand.

  3. A clipped arrival renews the opening calls

    Opening-related material returns after a short arrival. Recognise its contour without treating the octave entry as an extra pickup.

  4. Detached chords finish the response

    The last chordal gesture is short and separated. Hear its release as the completion of the earlier dialogue.

How to practise it

Shape the upper mixed rhythm before the lower chords enter.

  1. Practise the final triplet group slowly, then connect the preceding notes.
  2. Count the two silent bars and practise the three lower chord attacks with clean releases.

How hard is it

Level 5, estimated

The short Lento miniature places musical weight on the contrast between single-note writing and resonant chords. Its brevity makes it approachable as a listening entry, not automatically easy to perform expressively.

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 - 4.” by A. Scriabin (1872 to 1915). Mutopia edition maintained by Philippe Hézaine. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=762. 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. Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2 No. 1Level 6, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Two Pieces, Op. 59: No. 2, PreludeLevel 7, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Shape the upper mixed rhythm before the lower chords enter.

Practise it in PlayPiano