The Scriabin Project - Scriabin Sonata No. 9 In the Scriabin project, I explored the trinity of Scriabin's style - the dark and perverted (Sonata No. 6), the bright and ecstatic (Sonata No. 7)... now comes the balancing factor of the three - Sonata No. 9's mystic and unknown nature. Nicknamed by many musicians as the "Black Mass" (Messe noir) - the name which Scriabin eventually approved - the sonata resembles a requiem for the mysterious forces of the earth. It is by far the most complicated of the sonatas harmonically - even the tonality is just a pitch center, with no definite key. 0:04 - The two-voiced first theme rises from the silence, followed by a canon. The requiem has begun - the choral-like music haunts the audience as voices come and go. 0:29 - Transitionary materials bring us to the first bell that tolls. The mystic harmonies swell: the repeated note motif then chimes in, like an echo of the bells. 2:29 - The trills and swells of the dark forces get cancelled out by a languorous second theme. Melodic and eerily beautiful, the melody calms the listener and creates a zen atmosphere. 4:30 - More bells have sounded; the orchestra briefly alluded to the first theme. The development begins, this time with more harmonic changes - and, of course, more bells. 5:41 - The requiem's tension rises as the dark and light forces compete for an imbalance; however, another beautiful moment in the key of F sharp major relives the grand moments of Sonata No. 7. The second theme enters in again in its full glory, while the dark lurks in the shadows, waiting to corrupt it. 6:47 - As the music ventures into the recapitulation, the ritual is complete. Now the spirits and demons are finally appearing in this world. The first theme again appears in an even richer sound and gives form to the summoned. 8:50 - The rise towards the climax begins. The first theme, now sounding like a whole swarm of bell sounds, creates quite a frantic and creepy mood for the requiem. 10:17 - The climax of the requiem - a whole bombardment of haunting bells and sweeping orchestral forces. The climax is short-lived, unfortunately, as it quickly disappears, leading us to an incredibly small recapitulation with only the first theme. Nevertheless, it takes on the mood of the second, being eerily calm and soothing. A final low-note bell sounds in the distance, marking the end of the requiem. The Scriabin Project Maksym Mahlay, performer Peter Crescimano, sound producer Werner Recital Hall, College Conservatory of Music April 11th, 2019 ©2019 by Maksym Mahlay. All rights reserved.

Maksym Mahlay: The Scriabin Project - Scriabin Sonata No. 7 Immediately after composing his dark sixth sonata (link at the bottom of the description), Scriabin sought to 'cancel out' the imbalance of otherworldly forces by writing a brighter, god-like Sonata No. 7 in F Sharp Major. This sonata, in contrast to the ritual-like structure of the Sixth, contains a quasi-Eastern Orthodox liturgical component within itself. As if to drive out the demonic forces that were summoned previously, this sonata is engulfed in bell-like sounds, an homage to the Russian church bells. Scriabin is known to have personally nicknamed the sonata "White Mass" (Messe blance). Because of the liturgical-like structure, this sonata has multiple themes and melodies; nevertheless, two themes belong to the A section, while two themes belong to the B. These groups of themes, therefore, preserve the purity of the sonata structure. A SECTION 0:04 - Like the Sixth, the Seventh sonata begins out with a huge fanfare, however this time with bells. The six-note first theme sticks out prominently, while the supporting harmonies provide a spiritual cleansing for the listener. 0:44 - The second theme pierces through the 'dying off' of the first theme. Entirely composed of bells, this theme is not as harmonically dense as the first one, but still asserts its presence as another dominant factor throughout the piece. B SECTION 1:11 - The third theme signals the beginning of the liturgy. Choral and ecstatic in nature, the melody warms up the sound with its presence, as if a soloist were to sing it with a choir in the background. 3:15 - The fourth theme, preceded by a short dance, freezes time with its airy quality. The arpeggios, supporting the women's chorus's melody at the top, provide richness and completion to the B section. DEVELOPMENT 3:24 - The short fourth theme flows back into the fanfare of the bells. The cyclic nature of the Eastern Orthodox liturgy prevails in the development. All the themes present themselves throughout this section, however, this time the background harmonies change, providing tension and drive to the climax. 6:50 - The dance-like rise towards the climax begins. In comparison to a Christian service, this moment would probably mark the blessing/ transubstantiation, or the turning of bread and water into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Angelic forces descend onto the listener at 7:02, marking the climax and the high point of the liturgy. RECAPITULATION 7:02 - The fanfare returns, marking the climax and the recapitulation, this time enriched with bells, choirs, and forces of the heavens. 7:34 - The second theme is quite polar in the recap. Even though the bells are present, they are contrasted with a beautiful high-register choral line (which functions as transition material). 8:08 - The aforementioned choral line flows into the third theme, enriching it with while the melody is sung at the alto register. The liturgy has reached home base with the F Sharp major key and makes the sonata's end even more beautiful and resolute. At 8:38, like in the Sixth Sonata, the angelic spirits can be heard in the downward sweeping arpeggios, coming down upon the listener and suspending time. CODA 11:57 - The fourth theme stands alone and dominates the coda. It signifies the ending of the liturgy, the full presence of the heavens, and the slow but determined rise to the ultimate climax of the bells. At 13:00, the bells return once again with the fourth theme in its full glory, doing another spiritual cleanse before a brief allusion to demonic forces at 13:15. 13:38 - A terrifying superchord haunts the audience and dies off. Out of the ashes, the altos sing the third theme and bring the listener back to the F Sharp major key, with the rising arpeggios and trills doing the final cleansing of soul and body. Please check out Sonata No. 6 before listening to this sonata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMmX7-qElpU The Scriabin Project Maksym Mahlay, performer Peter Crescimano, sound producer Werner Recital Hall, College Conservatory of Music April 11th, 2019 ©2019 by Maksym Mahlay. All rights reserved.

The Scriabin Project - Scriabin Op. 65 1912, Russia - Scriabin's recently published Etudes, Op. 65 cause quite a scandal. The intervals, which are the primary focus of the etudes, are nonstandard for classical repertoire - the first one containing ninths, the second - sevenths, and the third one - fifths. Scriabin, however, wrote that he was never more excited to publish etudes as they would solidify and ground of his late period style. 0:03 - The first etude in B flat major is quite hallucinatory and polar in nature. The juxtaposition of the frantic, quick scherzo and the smooth, warm serenade introduces the audience to the collection and prepares them for the more complex harmonies and technical demands that lie ahead. 4:25 - As Simon Nicholls describes it, the second etude in C sharp major has "barcarolle-like rocking" which slowly accelerate to an homage to the frantic nature of the previous etude. In addition to the luxurious and sensuous quality of this piece, Scriabin also exhibits the AB structure that will dominate a lot of his short pieces in his late period: the A section being in the tonic, and the B in the tritone dominant (as outlined in my Scriabin Theory™). 6:45 - The final etude, again in C sharp major provides an exciting, driving conclusion to the collection. Its dance-like nature pays another homage to the first etude while also giving a quick 'shoutout' to Prometheus with its radiant harmonies. The Scriabin Project Maksym Mahlay, performer Peter Crescimano, sound producer Werner Recital Hall, College Conservatory of Music April 11th, 2019 ©2019 by Maksym Mahlay. All rights reserved.

Maksym Mahlay: The Scriabin Project - Scriabin Sonata No. 6 In the ongoing quest for searching for a higher power, Scriabin devoted the last period of his life to incorporating his philosophical and spiritual thoughts into music. Scriabin's Sonata No. 6 in G Major (along with his Poéme de Feu a.k.a. Prometheus Symphony) mark the milestone transition into his late stylistic period. Despite this sonata being the most dramatic and epic in character, Scriabin himself never played the work in public. He feared that through playing the sonata, he would call on evil, satanic forces upon the earth; in all honest opinion, the whole structure of the sonata does indeed seem a bit ritualistic in nature. 0:04 - The sonata begins out with a huge fanfare, as if signaling the spirits to awaken. The slow chord progression to the G major chord (0:10) also serves as important harmonic material as it will resonate throughout the entire piece. 0:31 - The first theme peeks out at the audience for a brief moment. The seductive, somewhat erotic, rising melody catches the listener off guard, and then recedes back into the fanfare. It returns again, in a fuller and richer sound, at 1:18. 2:02 - The second theme rises out of nowhere and brings the listener into a trance-like state. This 16 bar melody provides the perfect opposite character [to the first theme] as it is mystical in nature. 3:26 - The last couple of riffs from the second theme flow into the development, which serves as the ritualistic dance. Rhythmically charged and energized, the development showcases the harmony between the erotic/seductive and the mystic/dark forces. 5:05 - Here, I mark the development fusing itself into one huge snowball. The eroticism and mysticism have joined forces, and mark the slow climb into the climax of the ritual - 5:58. 6:47 - As the music ventures into the recapitulation, the ritual is complete. Now the spirits and demons are finally appearing in this world. The first theme again appears in an even richer sound and gives form to the summoned. 9:11 - The mystical second theme transforms into an ethereal freeze in time. Even though the second theme is present, the composer included all the important material from this sonata; hence, the airy quality that results signifies the spirits flowing around and encompassing all those participating in the ritual. 10:51 - A surprising "second development" surprises the listener, as any classical sonata should have ended by now. However, this development serves as a coda, a final dance for both the participants and the spirits. The ending, after some moments of silence, blossoms into a beautiful G major chord, depicting the departure of the spirits to haunt this world. The Scriabin Project Maksym Mahlay, performer Peter Crescimano, sound producer Werner Recital Hall, College Conservatory of Music April 11th, 2019 ©2019 by Maksym Mahlay. All rights reserved.

Sonata for Violin and Cello (revised version) composed 2017 Zeng Danqi, violin Zhao Yuanxi, cello Movements: I. Serenade - 0:00 II. Scherzo - 2:54 III. Cadenza - 4:34 (attacca) IV. Finale - 5:36 Maksym Mahlay Sophomore Composition Recital Werner Hall, College Conservatory of Music February 15, 2018

sonata no.3 in b-flat major Maksym Mahlay, performer Sophomore Composition Recital Watson Hall, College Conservatory of Music Synopsis: Exposition: 0:00 Second Theme: 01:05 Development: 03:45 Recapitualtion: 05:36

sonata no.1 in b-major Maksym Mahlay, performer Sophomore Composition Recital Watson Hall, College Conservatory of Music

Mahlay - Sonata for Violin and Cello (first version) Movement 3 - Finale Performers: Tara Lynn Ramsey (violin), Pall Kalmansson (cello) Performed in Mixon Hall, CIM ©2017 by Maksym Mahlay. All rights reserved.