Prelude And Nocturne For The Left Hand, Op. 9

By Alexander Scriabin

The Prelude is intermediate/advanced while the Nocturne is a bit more advanced. Both are romantic and sonorous, with none of that showoff style commonly associated with Scriabin. Antonio Iturrioz plays the Nocturne in his DVD "The Art of the Left Hand" and finds that the expressiveness brought to left...

-hand works is far different and soulful than what can be done with both hands. Iturrioz cannot allow his right hand to rest in his lap, instead it is seen clutching at the piano frame or waving in the air. I have felt the same frustration but find it a good disciplinary exercise.

while the music is beautiful as a previous reviewer pointed out, this particular edition leaves a lot to be desired. First, there is at least one glaring mistake (a missing note) which leads to confusing grouping and extra rest in one measure. The edited dynamics aren't particularly helpful either...

. There's also some confusing notation near the end of the Nocturne, that I'm sure wasn't the way that Scriabin originaly notated. Finally, I can't believe that the final page is printed on the back cover of the book. While this edition only costs $3.50 I can't agree that it's worth even that much.

i'm 14 and just started the prelude of this piece. it's not too terribly difficult, but it is challenging. it is also very pretty. the nocturne is even more difficult and even more georgeous. a very good starter scriabin piece!