Sonata No. 2 in F Sharp Minor, Op. 13 by Nikolai Yakovlevich Miaskovsky: A detailed analysis and comparative study.

Abstract

This study introduces the nine piano sonatas by Nikolai Yakovlevich Miaskovsky. A detailed description and analysis of Sonata No. 2 in f# minor is also included, as well as a copy of the full score. Even though he composed twenty-seven symphonies, a number of string quartets and a variety of piano works, Miaskovsky and his compositions are relatively unknown in the United States. The magnitude of his symphonic works, the isolationist policies of the Soviet Union, and a language barrier may explain this obscurity. His piano sonatas have been especially and unjustifiably overlooked. In his early sonatas, Miaskovsky uses the piano as a symphonic medium. These sonatas are technically challenging, extensive in dynamic range and color. Their chromatic texture and extended harmonies reflect the compositional style of Alexander Scriabin and Richard Strauss. The Sonata No. 2 in f# minor in particular exemplifies Miaskovsky's exploration of modernism with an inclination toward late romantic traditions. This sonata especially shows Miaskovsky's struggle to establish a personal musical style and demonstrates his remarkable craftsmanship. A study of Miaskovsky's piano sonatas reveals a stylistic evolution from somber subjectivity to a less personalized style. The vast difference in his later sonatas (nos. 7-9) suggests that Miaskovsky complied with the ideological demands of the Soviet state. Miaskovsky's lifetime and musical development uniquely reflect the momentous events in Russian and Soviet history. As a prominent composer in Russia, his recognition is long overdue in the United States. His early sonatas especially deserve a place in the standard twentieth-century piano literature.