Of the 74 opus numbers in Scriabin's catalog, 13 date to 1903, probably his most productive year in keyboard composition. Not only was it a fertile period, but it also marked the appearance of his first truly mature piano works, following a two-year stretch during which the composer had mostly focused on orchestral music (Symphony No. 2 and No. 3). The Etudes, Op. 42, are among his most rewarding piano works -- works whose nascent modernity point toward the mystical and often weird compositional ideas of his final years. The music here is still post-Romantic, but sounds overripe, pushing out toward new horizons, harmonically, rhythmically, and thematically. The opening etude in D flat major has a Chopin-esque spirit but a Scriabin-esque sound. Triplets swirl and rhythms perplex as cascades of notes spin out a carefree web of light fabric and brilliant colors. The ensuing F sharp minor etude, at about a minute in duration, is one of the set's shortest entries. It is playful in its quirky melody and hushed in its brief middle section, the whole leaving a sense of capriciousness. No. 3, in F sharp major, is also brief, but its quivering, twittering radiance seems perfectly matched to the piece's nickname of "Mosquito." The Etude No. 4 in F sharp major features a lovely theme whose Romantic manner sounds a bit perfumed, as if to conceal inner decay. The piece is typical of Scriabin, reaching out beyond an expressive language not quite suited to the music. No. 5, in C sharp minor, has a sinister character to its roiling bass, but a sense of passion to its agitated main theme. The alternate theme is lovely and contrasts well in its more-tempered Romanticism. The Sixth, in D flat major, is tentative in its uncertain gait, passionate but restrained in its sudden Romantic blossomings, and intense with yearning as it confronts the soloist with challenging wide stretches and tricky rhythmic hurdles. The Etude No. 7 in F minor, another one-minute affair, is bright and quirky, full of sunshine, but sunshine on a misty, cool day. The closing E flat major etude features a playful nervousness in its outer sections with a start-and-stop manner in its hyperactive accompaniment. The odd, stately middle section features big chords of ambivalent emotional expression, which sound like a sobering response to Rachmaninov's sweet gloom. The whole set lasts about 16 or 17 minutes in performance. ~ All Music Guide
