Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Performed by Ruslan Bayazitov.
I - Sostenuto assai (𝅘𝅥 = 63): 0:00
Shchedrin's Poem for Solo Piano was composed in 1954, while he was a student at the Moscow Conservatory. The poem, as a musical genre or character piece, is commonly associated with Alexander Scriabin. In Shchedrin's Poem, this link is very palpable in terms of melody, as well as in the character and mystic atmosphere. There are also allusions to impressionism, such as unresolved dissonances, parallel intervals of thirds, fourths and sixths, as well as triads with added seconds. The harmonies and textures are reminiscent of both Messian and Rachmaninoff, and, as in most of Shchedrin's compositions, the national element is also prevalent.
The piece starts with a C major chord in piano in the lower register, followed by a cantabile motive doubled at the octave. Immediately after the first C major chord, parallel voice leading occurs, evocative of Debussy. After the first C major chord there is a direct transition to the sixth scale degree. The chords in the left hand move in contrary motion. However, an F major seventh chord in the last beat of the second measure breaks this pattern and leads us back to a variation of the first motive. A passing appoggiatura on the F-sharp of the F major 7 chord, to which it gives a dissonant flavor. The piece uses multi-meter. It starts in 7/4 and it has small transitions to 5/4 and an episode in 3/4, beginning in measure 9 through measure 14, then returns to 7/4. The note values remain simple, with the predominance of quarter and eighth notes. Only in measure 9 to 14 do the note values change, in this case varying between sixteenth and eighth notes.
The entire piece is constructed upon the base of the motive appearing in the first four measures. The form of the piece is A-B-A'. Section A, from measure 1 to 8, consists basically of the presentation of the initial theme and the repetition of it. However, in measure 7 and 8, although rhythmically similar to measures 3 to 4, the harmonic structure is altered. Section B starts in measure 9. This is a very short section of 6 bars, which could actually be considered a transition, but the thematic material is different. In measure 15 he returns to section A. The piece then maintains the same thematic material to the end, but the composer uses different combinations of chords to present the same material, sometimes minor chords, and sometimes major ones. At the end there is a prolongation of the appoggiatura that was present throughout the piece, this time the desired effect fading to a pianissimo ending. The appoggiatura figures prominently throughout Poem. Each new phrase begins after the repetitive motif which first appears in beat 7, measure 1. This figure consists of a passing appoggiatura on the pitches F-sharp to E. This important unifying motif occurs 13 times throughout Poem and plays an important part in the structure and performance of the piece.
Picture: "Blue Twillight" (1960) by Russian painter Alexander Samokhvalov.
Source: tinyurl.com/284bj234
To check the score, thanks to @GNGianopoulos tinyurl.com/23azduva
Performed by Ruslan Bayazitov.
I - Sostenuto assai (𝅘𝅥 = 63): 0:00
Shchedrin's Poem for Solo Piano was composed in 1954, while he was a student at the Moscow Conservatory. The poem, as a musical genre or character piece, is commonly associated with Alexander Scriabin. In Shchedrin's Poem, this link is very palpable in terms of melody, as well as in the character and mystic atmosphere. There are also allusions to impressionism, such as unresolved dissonances, parallel intervals of thirds, fourths and sixths, as well as triads with added seconds. The harmonies and textures are reminiscent of both Messian and Rachmaninoff, and, as in most of Shchedrin's compositions, the national element is also prevalent.
The piece starts with a C major chord in piano in the lower register, followed by a cantabile motive doubled at the octave. Immediately after the first C major chord, parallel voice leading occurs, evocative of Debussy. After the first C major chord there is a direct transition to the sixth scale degree. The chords in the left hand move in contrary motion. However, an F major seventh chord in the last beat of the second measure breaks this pattern and leads us back to a variation of the first motive. A passing appoggiatura on the F-sharp of the F major 7 chord, to which it gives a dissonant flavor. The piece uses multi-meter. It starts in 7/4 and it has small transitions to 5/4 and an episode in 3/4, beginning in measure 9 through measure 14, then returns to 7/4. The note values remain simple, with the predominance of quarter and eighth notes. Only in measure 9 to 14 do the note values change, in this case varying between sixteenth and eighth notes.
The entire piece is constructed upon the base of the motive appearing in the first four measures. The form of the piece is A-B-A'. Section A, from measure 1 to 8, consists basically of the presentation of the initial theme and the repetition of it. However, in measure 7 and 8, although rhythmically similar to measures 3 to 4, the harmonic structure is altered. Section B starts in measure 9. This is a very short section of 6 bars, which could actually be considered a transition, but the thematic material is different. In measure 15 he returns to section A. The piece then maintains the same thematic material to the end, but the composer uses different combinations of chords to present the same material, sometimes minor chords, and sometimes major ones. At the end there is a prolongation of the appoggiatura that was present throughout the piece, this time the desired effect fading to a pianissimo ending. The appoggiatura figures prominently throughout Poem. Each new phrase begins after the repetitive motif which first appears in beat 7, measure 1. This figure consists of a passing appoggiatura on the pitches F-sharp to E. This important unifying motif occurs 13 times throughout Poem and plays an important part in the structure and performance of the piece.
Picture: "Blue Twillight" (1960) by Russian painter Alexander Samokhvalov.
Source: tinyurl.com/284bj234
To check the score, thanks to @GNGianopoulos tinyurl.com/23azduva
