When Arsenii Moon competed in the prestigious Busoni Piano Competition in 2023, he made history. Because the jury voted unanimously in his favour, he was also awarded the coveted Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize – an achievement that no competitor had matched for almost 30 years. In his recital at the Elbphilharmonie, the young pianist brings two vastly different composers into a fascinating dialogue.
Moon interweaves the contrasting musical landscapes of Domenico Scarlatti and Alexander Scriabin by alternating sonatas by the Italian composer with preludes by the Russian. The result is a compelling tension between Scarlatti’s delicate, sparkling sonatas and Scriabin’s ethereal, atmospheric miniatures – a tension that remains palpable throughout the programme. One of the leading figures of the Italian Baroque, Scarlatti regularly astonished audiences with his extraordinary virtuosity: »As if a thousand devils were seated at the instrument.«
Scriabin, too, secured an enduring place in music history as an exceptional composer for the piano. One of his great models was Frédéric Chopin, and like his Polish predecessor he composed 24 preludes, each in a different key. The musical language still bears the influence of Chopin, yet these miniatures also trace Scriabin’s travels across Europe. From Moscow he journeyed to Heidelberg, Dresden, Amsterdam, Vitznau and Paris, composing new préludes wherever he went. The collection thus becomes a musical travelogue, rich in subtle melodies and shifting impressions.
PERFORMERS
Arsenii Moon piano
PROGRAM
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in C major, K 159
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in C major, Op. 11/1
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in A minor, K 109
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in A minor, Op. 11/2
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in D minor, K 444
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in F-sharp minor, Op. 11/8
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in B minor, K 27
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 11/14
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in D-flat major, Op. 11/15
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in F minor, K 239
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in E-flat major, Op. 11/19
Domenico Scarlatti
Sonata in G minor, K 43
Alexander Skrjabin
Prelude in D minor, Op. 11/24
