Prokofiev's Piano Music

[karlhenning]

Any recommendations for the Visions Fugitives (and/or the other smaller works)?

Michel Béroff included the Visions fugitives with his set of the five concerti (which is also well worth hearing).

IIRC (I ought to, because I think it's on my Sansa Fuze player) Eteri Andjaparidze included the Visions fugitives on the Prokofiev Piano Music Vol 1 she did for Naxos way back in the day.

I even enjoy Olli Mustonen's performance, though that may be an acquired taste.

[bhodges]

Richter has about half of the Visions fugitives on this release, which is excellent.

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--Bruce

[Mandryka]

I know someone who praised Joyce Hatto's sonata CDs to the skies. Turns out that they all from Oleg Marshev on Danacord. Has anyone tried them?

[Scarpia]

I know someone who praised Joyce Hatto's sonata CDs to the skies. Turns out that they all from Oleg Marshev on Danacord. Has anyone tried them?

I don't know.  What did Stalin think?

[admiralackbar]

Michel Béroff included the Visions fugitives with his set of the five concerti (which is also well worth hearing).

IIRC (I ought to, because I think it's on my Sansa Fuze player) Eteri Andjaparidze included the Visions fugitives on the Prokofiev Piano Music Vol 1 she did for Naxos way back in the day.

I even enjoy Olli Mustonen's performance, though that may be an acquired taste.

It appears that the Béroff concerti are OOP, but I see that his Visions Fugitives have been repackaged as part of this.

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[karlhenning]

It appears that the Béroff concerti are OOP . . .

Repackaged!

[dirkronk]

I've had the Pollini forever on LP (still do) and still like it a lot. I have assorted other folks on LP, but whenever I'm in a mood for Prokofiev sonatas (in any format), I tend to turn first to Richter. Go figure. I have him doing multiple versions (or at least pressings) of 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, plus assorted pieces from Cinderella, and visions fugitives...also the cello sonata with Gutman.

However, a survey of my CDs indicates that I have a lot of other choices, but NO complete set by any one artist! The closest I come is part of Barbara Nissman's traversal on Newport (1,2,3,4 and both versions of 5), which I acquired literally a week or two back and haven't heard...and Kasman doing 1,4,5,7 and 9, which I've heard only once, l-o-o-n-g ago. So I'm afraid I'm a washout so far as recommendations of a complete set go.

On the other hand, I'll readily recommend Berman doing the sonata 8 and Romeo & Juliet. Another one I have in both LP and CD and simply love listening to. Whether it qualifies as great Prokofiev playing...?

Reviewing the rest of the pack, seems like a LOT of folks liked playing 7 (Ashkenazy, Kapell, Pletnev, Sokolov) and 8 (Gavrilov, Pletnev, Gilels, and Nikolayeva).

I will mention two or three CDs out of the old Russian Piano School set that might be of interest: Neuhaus does the visions fugitives on his disc; Ervy-Novitskay does an almost all-Prokofiev disc with Sarcasms, sonata 5, R&J and visions fugitives; and Nikolayeva's might be especially worth tracking down for her pastiche of Peter & the Wolf transcribed by her for piano along with her sonata 8.

The fact that I have all of these but can comment specifically on almost none except the Pollini, Richter, Berman and a couple of others, tells me that it's time for a listening marathon with ol' Serge P as the focus. Perhaps I'll keep watch on this thread to fill in any gaps, as well.

Happy hunting.

Dirk

(I'll report on my recs for concerti later: those I know a tad better. I'll also try to give the Nissman a listen and report when I can. I understand she does a creditable job...that's why I picked hers up to begin with...and I THINK her sonatas have recently been reissued on another label. Perhaps someone else can verify.)

[Octo_Russ]

I have this one,



But i don't think he made a complete cycle.



Does anyone know if Bronfman is any good in this repertoire?, i'm seriously thinking of getting this disc, he has done a complete Piano Sonata cycle.

[admiralackbar]

Repackaged!

And repackaged with the Visions Fugitives none-the-less! Good news indeed!

I need a set of the concerti anyway. Seems like a good buy. Thanks!

[George]

And repackaged with the Visions Fugitives none-the-less! Good news indeed!

I need a set of the concerti anyway. Seems like a good buy. Thanks!

Strongly seconded. 

Check PM for more goodies.  0:)

[Daverz]

And repackaged with the Visions Fugitives none-the-less! Good news indeed!

I need a set of the concerti anyway. Seems like a good buy. Thanks!

The old chubby box had the Visions Fugitives, too.

[admiralackbar]

The old chubby box had the Visions Fugitives, too.

Yes; Karl noted that above, but I was unaware that (a) it had been repackaged and (b) that the contents remained the same!

[Daverz]

The Great Pianists of the 20th Century series had a Richter volume with sonatas 6, 7 and 8.  If you see that around, it's worth picking up, though the 8 is the same as the studio one on DG, and the others are available on various other issues.  Worth picking up if you can find it cheap.

This Archipel set of 6, 7 & 9 is cheap, though they are a dodgy label who have presented others work as their own before:

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The studio 8:

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It would be nice to have a set that collected the non-sonata piano works.  There was a Vox set by Sandor.  I got rid of his Vox set of the sonatas because he's a rather dull player compared to Raekallio.


.

[Todd]

Does anyone know if Bronfman is any good in this repertoire?, i'm seriously thinking of getting this disc, he has done a complete Piano Sonata cycle.

I rather enjoy his cycle.  It is well played and in quite good sound.  Perhaps it would be better if Bronfman struggled a bit more, because some of it sounds a bit slick.  Still, it is worth the meager outlay.  Richter and Prokofiev himself recorded some fine performances, as did Beroff in the aforementioned set.  Ayako Uehara recently recorded a Prokofiev solo disc including the Visions Fugitives.  It's quite nice, though some may like more bite - it's quite attractive, and in excellent sound.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

If any composer can jolt, it's Prokofiev. The pianist most capable of channeling these jolts is Richter. Sounds innocent enough. But there's a certain innateness to Richter's approach that allows him to bestride Prokofiev's musically thorny landscape without fear of being swallowed up. The results are stimulating and add immeasurably to the understanding of Prokofiev as a composer. No greater praise, there.

That's of course not the same thing as saying Richter "owns" Prokofiev, as the music is still greater than any one interpreter (but it's close ). Pianists I also love in Prokofiev include:

Egorov (8th)
Guy (6th, 8th)
Argerich (7th)
Gavrilov (3rd, 7th, 8th)
Gilels (8th)
Kocyan (7th)
Glemser (1st, 3rd, 4th)
Pogorelich (6th - in smallish doses)

Finally, for excitement, color, and total immersion in the idiom, Raekallio's complete set on Ondine blazes (OOP but available as download):



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[Dancing Divertimentian]

Richter has about half of the Visions fugitives on this release, which is excellent.

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--Bruce

This disc also includes perhaps the best sixth sonata on the planet (besting even himself elsewhere).

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A fantastic collection for some of the smaller and more obscure pieces is this Raekallio disc (alas, download only these days):



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[Mandryka]

Elisso Virssaladze's Sonata 8 is probably my favourite recording of that much recorded piece -- though clearly Richter live is very good. Anyway this CD is unreservedly recommended if you like spontaneous music making


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Sofronitsky's recording of the 7th sonata is unbearably intense. As is his Sarcasmes recording and Grandma's Tales. The view is rather more lyrical than we're used to from others, and so is partucuarly valuable. It's as if all the barbarity is there -- but tempered with a sweetness. Terrible, abysmal, atrocious, painful, speaker busting, amplifier frying  sound.





I also can't sleep at nights unless I know the following are all under the roof safe and sound:  Lubimov and Sokolov in 7(DVD) ; Zhukov in 9 sometimes -- depends how the wind's blowing; Pogorelich in 6 always. And of course live Richter, especially the live on Meldoiya, and Gilels, especially the DVD from Moscow. The Lubimov is particularly good because partly because of the Scriabin it comes with

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I have Chiu's big box -- but I rarely listen. It's perfectly fine.  but somehow uninspiring. Dry acoustic. (Better maybe in the violin sonatas) Maybe other people here will convince me that I have missed something and that I should make a greater effort

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I haven't heard enough of sonatas 2-5 to comment -- I must ecplore that music.

I have heard enough of Sonata 1 though -- one time is more than enough 

[The new erato]

  I got rid of his Vox set of the sonatas because he's a rather dull player compared to Raekallio.

But sadly unavailable it seems. I've ordered the Raekallio twice with no luck.

[Daverz]

But sadly unavailable it seems. I've ordered the Raekallio twice with no luck.

I've read several glowing reviews of the McDermott cycle, and the price is good, so I probably wouldn't wait for a reissue of Raekallio.