Scriabin Sonatas 9 and 10

[lombardian]

Hello Everybody,

I am preparing for a competition, and the second round calls for some 20th and 21st century music. Naturally I feel inclined to put some Scriabin, who I have just recently discovered, in the mix. I have been listening to his Sonatas alot, particularly the later ones, and am now faced with the difficult prospect of choosing between my two favorites: 9 and 10, which seem to me to form somewhat of a complementary pair. That is to say, 9 is sinister, brooding, while no 10 is otherworldly, exalted, even joyous. My question for any of the more experienced Scriabin players there may be out there is simply, what is a better competition piece? Which is musically more difficult, and perhaps more challenging to convey convincingly to a jury?

Many Thanks

Nick

[quantum]

I'd say 10 would be the more difficult of the two.  9 may be more accessible to a casual or first time listener. 

Have you played much Scriabin before?  If not allow a lot of time to study, as his is a very different world. 

[lontano]

I'd say 10 would be the more difficult of the two.  9 may be more accessible to a casual or first time listener. 

Have you played much Scriabin before?  If not allow a lot of time to study, as his is a very different world. 

Try the 10th.
It's hard to play, and much harder to impress anyone without an opinion. But I believe it's worth the effort.

[kay3087]

The ninth is certainly easier, but the tenth is definitely more impressing to an audience of commoners.