Scriabin's Piano Solo Works

Dry Brett Kavanaugh · June 06, 2023, 04:05:02 PM

Fine rendition of Op.16 No. 1.

George · June 07, 2023, 05:31:39 PM

Quote from: Florestan on June 03, 2023, 07:57:22 AMI have the Lettberg set and I remember having enjoyed it in its entirety a few years ago. Music-wise, I confess to enjoying early and middle Scriabin music more than his late works.

Thanks.

Anybody compared the Lettberg and Alexeev cycles? If so, I'd be interested to hear your impressions.
I have been doing so over the last few days, as I was thinking of buying one of them or maybe getting a set of the etudes, mazurkas and preludes, as I have enough recordings of the sonatas. Who do people like for the complete etudes and preludes?

Here's what I have come up with for Lettberg and Alexeev:

Lettberg - has the edge when it comes to sound and overall clarity. Overall, faster tempos, more direct playing.

Alexeev - more romantic playing, more distantly recorded piano that results in blurred sound.

Mandryka · June 07, 2023, 07:38:13 PM

Okashiro for etudes.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh · June 08, 2023, 06:29:25 AM

Etudes - Okashiro.
Preludes (non-complete) - Zhukov and Sofronitzky.

Mandryka · June 08, 2023, 08:21:52 AM

The Alexeev I found rather disappointing all round, though I think I may be the only one. It just didn't seem as exciting and fresh as his earlier recordings (e,g, the Brahms.)

Cato · June 08, 2023, 03:21:44 PM

Quote from: Florestan on June 03, 2023, 07:57:22 AMI am greatly tempted by this set, is anyone familiar with it?

I have the Lettberg set and I remember having enjoyed it in its entirety a few years ago. Music-wise, I confess to enjoying early and middle Scriabin music more than his late works.

I found this on YouTube: for 1952, the quality is very good!

George · June 09, 2023, 04:07:34 PM

Quote from: Mandryka on June 08, 2023, 08:21:52 AMThe Alexeev I found rather disappointing all round, though I think I may be the only one. It just didn't seem as exciting and fresh as his earlier recordings (e,g, the Brahms.)

Yeah, the soft, reverberant sound of the Alexeev Scriabin set doesn't help things either. I definitely prefer his playing to Lettberg's, but her set has much better sound.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh · June 09, 2023, 04:10:58 PM

Begs the question what the merit of complete sets are in general.

George · June 09, 2023, 04:33:27 PM

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on June 09, 2023, 04:10:58 PMBegs the question what the merit of complete sets are in general.

I've always loved complete sets. I own many of them. But just like single discs, the results aren't always worthy of a purchase. I'm just glad to live in an age where I can sample recordings extensively before buying.

Atriod · June 10, 2023, 03:12:09 AM

Quote from: Mandryka on June 08, 2023, 08:21:52 AMThe Alexeev I found rather disappointing all round, though I think I may be the only one. It just didn't seem as exciting and fresh as his earlier recordings (e,g, the Brahms.)

I can believe that. I have an earlier recording of him in Rachmaninoff that is better than anything I've heard more recently.

My prior post. My summary is other than Horowitz, Sofronitsky, and Richter the vast majority of Scriabin is like a "diet Scriabin" (or Coke Zero, why has that seen a massive surge in popularity recently? Everyone I see is drinking it at work) I was extremely impressed with Yuja Wang in Piano Sonata 2 in a more texturally transparent style ala Horowitz, then I switched to Marc-Andre Hamelin to compare and it was just nowhere near as good, overall just a bland cycle.