Two Russian composers rehabilitated the piano sonata in the 20th century. One was Prokofiev and the other was Scriabin, who composed ten or eleven piano sonatas, according to scholarly interpretation. Scriabin’s later works became more versatile, nourished by a mixture of symbolism and mysticism, foreshadowing the pianistic works of a composer who always proclaimed the capital importance of Scriabin: Olivier Messiaen. Yakov Kasman’s US debut as the Silver Medal winner in the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was the culmination of several competition triumphs and tours in Europe and the Middle East.
