Scriabin’s Op. 2 No. 1 Etude was written when he was only fifteen years old (1887). The 1887 composition date comes from a chronological list of youthful works Scriabin himself created in 1889 (see the 1947 Moscow edition below). This early composition is certainly Romantic in style and is one of the composer’s more accessible works. It was published as part of his Three Pieces, Op. 2, together with a B-Major prelude and an Impromptu à la mazur (Impromptu-Mazurka) in C major. Control of inner voices in the midst of thick harmonies is a major aspect of this etude.
Editions: The first edition, the Trois Morceaux mentioned above, was published in 1894 by P. Jurgenson in Moscow. It is available on IMSLP and is worth using to this day for those who might prefer a very clean copy with no fingering suggestions. One possible error is the pp marking in measure 36. This should probably match the ppp marking in the parallel passage in measure 19. Many later editions make this change.
Schirmer published a Louis Oesterle edited version around 1912 (Plate 23698) and it appears in many anthologies. Many helpful (though not definitive by any means) fingerings are present. The pp vs. ppp issue mentioned in the above paragraph remains. This edition also begins to suggest some logical hand divisions not apparent in the first edition.
An Alexander Siloti edition published by Carl Fischer, New York in 1929 is not recommended. Siloti wanted to avoid hand positions and crossings he thought were unnatural and overly edited this edition. Repeated notes tied, tied notes repeated, notes added not present in the original, a plethora of unnecessary pedal markings/rubato indications/slurs… Do not use this edition… The only redeeming factor is that, in his rearranging and rewriting, Siloti reveals some useful hand divisions for the original that aren’t immediately apparent.
In 1947, a Moscow Muzgiz edition appeared. This one is reprinted in many Dover editions. Possibly a reaction to the over-edited Siloti edition mentioned above, this one returns to a cleaner slate. The pp vs. ppp issue mentioned in above in relation to the first edition is corrected here.
Recommended Recordings:
- Vladimir Horowitz (1962): A landmark recording of this composition. Horowitz captures the Andante tempo marking but is never constrained by it. His shaping of large phrases and smaller interior motives as well as his voice differentiation is presented as if he was composing the work anew. Strays from the score in minor ways, but to the benefit of this particular recording.
- Vladimir Horowitz (Horowitz in Moscow-1986, Deutsche Grammophon): Not only valuable in comparison to the early recording above, but a historical moment captured. At 0:58 Scriabin’s daughters Maria Skryabina (L) Yelena A. Skryabina (R) appear. Powerful piece in a powerful context.