Étude, Op. 8 No. 12

1. 0:00
   Right-hand octaves, bars 1–⁠16

   Scriabin marks the étude Patetico. The right hand plays the melody in octaves while the left hand leaps between bass notes and widely spaced chords. The melody moves in twos against the accompaniment’s threes.

2. 0:36
   Letter to Belyayev, March 1895

   In March 1895 Scriabin was still revising the études, and his publisher, Belyayev, was waiting for them. Scriabin wrote that he worked from the time he got up until evening: “I do not want to publish anything unfinished.” The D♯ minor étude was among the pieces he had rewritten.

3. 1:04
   Return of the opening theme

   The opening theme returns in D♯ minor, with triplet chords now in both hands. The right hand plays the accompaniment and holds the longer melody above it. Both hands then climb towards the final chords.

4. 1:30
   White House workshop, 2009

   On 4 November 2009 Awadagin Pratt played this étude at a classical-music workshop and concert at the White House. Michelle Obama introduced Pratt, Joshua Bell, Alisa Weilerstein and Sharon Isbin as “the best in the world”. She added that Pratt had begun on a dusty upright his mother bought for a hundred dollars.

Joins

1. 0:36
   Diminuendo to piano over continuing triplets

   Scriabin writes diminuendo, then piano, and the octave melody moves into a more winding phrase. The left hand continues its triplets and wide leaps through the change.

2. 1:04
   Triplet chords in both hands

   A crescendo and a brief ritardando lead to the return. At A tempo the D♯ minor melody comes back above low bass octaves, and the accompaniment is now spread across both hands. The right hand holds the tune and repeats chords beneath it.

3. 1:44
   Up the keyboard, then three chords

   The two hands climb the keyboard together. A rest cuts short their last high chord. Two more chords follow lower down, and the second of these is held for a whole bar. All three chords are D♯ minor.