Piano Sonata No. 5 (Scriabin) - Harmonic Language

Harmonic Language

According to Samson, unlike his later sonatas, the sonata-form of this work still has some meaning to the work's tonal structure.

The work does not contain any perfect cadence, nor any consonant chord.

The work features one of the strange occurrences of the complete Mystic chord spelled in fourths (mm. 264 and 268). Jim Samson points out that it fits in well with Scriabin's predominantly dominant quality sonorities and harmony as it may take on a dominant quality on C or F♯. This tritone relationship between possible resolutions is important to Scriabin's harmonic language, and it is a property shared by the French sixth (also prominent in his work).

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