Scriabin, Alexander : Romance
Work Overview
Genre：Various works
Total Playing Time：2 min 20 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
Commentary (2)
Author : Yamamoto, Nao
Last Updated: July 10, 2023
[Open]
Author : Yamamoto, Nao
From 1894 to 1897, Romance for Horn and Piano, WoO 21, was composed and published posthumously in 1927. It was composed by Scriabin for the renowned French horn player, Louis Savart, and the original manuscript is preserved in the Scriabin Museum. It was published not only in a horn version but also in a cello version. Scriabin's chamber music is extremely scarce, making this one of his rare works. This work, in ternary form, features a piano accompaniment written throughout in polyrhythm, with the main melody played by the horn or cello overlapping with the rhythm of the piano accompaniment at various points. As the piece progresses towards the latter half, the dynamics gradually gain momentum, and in the recapitulation, the melody is played dramatically, making it a short yet brilliant work.
Author : Yamamoto, Nao
Last Updated: July 10, 2023
[Open]
Author : Yamamoto, Nao
Performance Tips
This is a rare chamber music piece for Scriabin, who composed many piano works. The melody is led by the horn or cello, and the piano serves as accompaniment. However, the piano should interweave the right-hand triplets with the melody, playing them so that they sound polyphonic. Furthermore, although the piano has phrases in two-bar units, it is necessary to play them so that they feel like long phrases, similar to the four-bar units of the melody. From bar 17, the piano takes the main melody. Here, be mindful of the highest note and ensure that the triplets in the middle register do not become too prominent.
From bar 25, an interplay between the instruments begins. From bar 29, use the repeated chords in the left hand to build a crescendo, leading to the forte of the main melody in the horn or cello. From bar 41, both instruments sing in unison. This is a dramatically developing section, so you may apply a slight rubato to expand the melody and play it in a singing manner. Regarding the syncopation, which forms the melodic motif, adding a slight length to the initial note, as if drawing a cello bow, will deepen the sound and lead to a better expression of the work.
