Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

Performed by Christoph Orendi and Lorenz Trottmann.

I - Sauvage, quadrangulaire: 0:00
II - Parfaitement libre: 0:19
III - Fantasque: 1:04
IV - Avec une nécessité de fer: 2:01

Wyschnegradsky's Four Fragments Op.5 were composed in 1918, existing in two versions; the first for solo piano in semitones (a "normal" piano) and a second for two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart. The first was done purely for practical purposes, while the second represents the composer's first attempt at microtonal composition, in this case from the resulting quarter tones from the tuning difference between the pianos.

Sadly there's no more that I can say about the piece, and I don't trust AI to provide a meaningful analysis without hallucinating something. If you can point at some substantial and reliable source that talks more about the piece, please tell me in the comments section.

Thanks to Lorenz Trottmann @TheTrotti for making this music available online. Check the original video through this link: tinyurl.com/24k9rhas

Picture: "Improvisation 209" (1917) by Russian-French painter Wassily Kandinsky.

Source: tinyurl.com/2dqla7dp

Unfortunately the score isn't available.