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Topic: Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3  (Read 1497 times)

Offline pistache_note

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Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3
on: August 20, 2015, 08:43:36 PM
Dear users of pianostreet,

Currently I am studying a Scriabin prelude (Op. 15 n. 3). In the first measure on the second beat three notes are played in the left hand while four notes are played in the right hand. This occurs many times throughout the piece. How should these arpeggios be played? Perhaps as 3vs4?


Thank you in advance,

Pistache_note

Offline adodd81802

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Re: Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3
Reply #1 on: August 21, 2015, 09:10:53 AM
Hi, I'm not sure what piece you are on about, in these situations if you can provide a screenshot you'll get a lot more feedback.

Do you have a rhythm for 3/4 (assuming this is how you should play it)

It's something I used to struggle with when I was learning one of Chopin's Nocturnes, sounds silly but my piano teacher would tell me to sound out the words "dear little daffodil" with the syllables representing the notes starting with the first of both notes and proceeding to the 2nd of the 4 on "li"
dear - li - ttle - daf - fo - dil so L+R - L - R - L - R - L

Helped me out a lot, may not work for all.
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Offline pistache_note

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Re: Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3
Reply #2 on: August 21, 2015, 11:33:37 AM
Thank you for your reply. Here is a screenshot of the first two measures.

Offline imaginatorium

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Re: Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3
Reply #3 on: August 21, 2015, 12:00:08 PM
First, I think an arpeggio is normally played by spreading out the notes, but near the beginning of the note value. In other words, if you have a four-note chord, arpeggiating it is not the same as playing the notes at a quarter of the whole chord value. In fact, generally you play them as fast as is consistent with elegance and your dream of being a harpist.

Here the tempo given is dotted crotchet 120. (Can this be right?) So you have to play 6 of these arpeggios in a second (180ms each). If you are trying to get the arpeggiation into the first 2/3 of the note value, so the whole chord can sound, that's 120ms for the notes. Now you worry about 4 against 3, these being 30 ms and 40 ms intervals, and the difference is in units of 1/100 of a second. Attempting to talk about daffodils at this speed will be entertaining, to say the least.

I think you just have to try to play the arpeggios neatly within the time available, and on slight reflection I think this metronome marking must surely be a mistake (there are a lot in Scriabin's scores). Even at quaver=120 it is quite a challenge.

Offline diomedes

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Re: Arpeggiation of Scriabin prelude Op. 15 n. 3
Reply #4 on: August 21, 2015, 01:34:28 PM
My point of view, which is only that, takes a very different angle. Those kinds of details are somewhat irrelevant, it's more important to convey the character of the piece. You'll spend so much time thinking about the rhythm, even more time getting it right, and then continue to be concerned with it until the end.

As for practical advice, i took my score and played through some of it, i played both hands about the same time and noticed instinct took my to the top note of each arpeggio together both hands. What happens before the intersect? Who knows, no one will ever know, i'm fairly certain anyone listening will never care or have an opportunity to figure it out. Unless they record you, slow down the tape and listen. In which case, they have a perverse mind.

His approach in writing is incredibly free, often he played things differently, and even changed notation completely (finale of the 3rd sonata is a famous example, no one in their right mind would play it the way he notated it, it would be slow and not compelling at all).

That's my point of view, but then again, I've played and performed half of the sonatas, including the 6th and 7th, which are diabolical in terms of how the page confronts you in presenting the rhythm. They are extremely valuable guidelines, and have to be heavily considered, but at the end it's how the music is conveyed, no one will ever be convinced by a precise but unimaginative playing. And i'll stress the sense of freedom in his music again.

And, at allegro assai, this is extremely demanding, you probably should worry about that more.
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