Scriabin's Piano Solo Works

[ezodisy]

I don't know but on Youtube you have Neuhaus, Richter and Berman too. Scriabin recorded some of his own pieces though I dont' know if this was included

[George]

A gentle bump.

Perhaps we can expand this thread to include all of Scriabin's solo piano works?

I listened to Ogdon's gorgeous reading of the first sonata on EMI. Great stuff! 

[Drasko]

I listened to Ogdon's gorgeous reading of the first sonata on EMI. Great stuff!

Of all Scriabin sonatas it took me longest to find performance of first that I really liked. Finally did, Fiorentino on APR coupled with also superb Rachmaninov 1st Sonata and ok Scriabin 4th.

[Mandryka]

Weissenberg recorded the Nocturne for the Left Hand three times. They are all pretty special, especially the first (on his Les Bis d'Alexis Weissenberg  CD (highly recommended CD that), and on Great Pianists (also highly recommended)). The one on his DVD is excellent too (the whole film is great!)

Josef Lhevinne recorded this piece too I think -- has anyone heard it?

I wonder if any pianists here have tried to play the Etude Op. 42/5


It would be interesting to hear people's preferred Vers la Flamme. If I want to hear this I turn to Horowitz, or Sofronitsky or Richter (despite the sound on my recording) . But perhaps those three have been outclassed.

Re the other late sonatas, I expect you all know what the man himself said about the 10th -- "My 10th Sonata is a sonata of insects. Insects are born from the sun... they are the sun's kisses." Nice one that -- "sun's  kisses"The irony is that he died from an insect bite that turned septic.

There is a whole world of music which has flowed from Scriabin's pianism -- not just Sorabji. There is loads of stuff on youtube which I would explore if I had time.

There is also the whole business of the relationship between sounds and colours to explore -- I once went to a great performance of Prometheus with a sort of projection of coloured lights. Very memorable and it would be great to experience more of this type of thing I think.

I have problems with the early works, but late Scriabin is beautiful.

[Dax]

Ashkenazy's set is available for free download at
http://nlib.org.ua/parts/mp3sound1.html

These are impressive, especially 6, and well worth a listen.

And here's Jonathan Powell with 10 on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN9V7h-FNa4

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Below are a couple of underrated Scriabin discs I really like. The first disc contains a generous cross section of preludes along with misc. miniatures including Vers la flamme.






The second disc has fine performances of the first and second sonatas:





For a one-stop sonata set Ashkenazy's is a fine achievement while in individual sonatas Richter is tops for me (2, 5, 6, and 9, haven't heard his 7th), Gavrilov and Fiorentino are great in 4, and Sofronitsky's fine in 3, 4, and 9.

For the preludes, Richter, Gavrilov, and Pizarro have each recorded generous and enjoyable selections (though Pizarro only Op.11). 

[Drasko]

Josef Lhevinne recorded this piece too I think

Sort of. It's piano roll. I'm glad I have it (on Pierian) but I'm still not sure how accurate representation of ones playing these are.

It would be interesting to hear people's preferred Vers la Flamme. If I want to hear this I turn to Horowitz, or Sofronitsky or Richter (despite the sound on my recording) . But perhaps those three have been outclassed.

These three outclassed, by whom? Horowitz and Sofronitsky are my preferences, in more recent times Sokolov played it very nice during 2007 season. Broadcasts should be floating around.

[Cato]

These three outclassed, by whom? Horowitz and Sofronitsky are my preferences, in more recent times Sokolov played it very nice during 2007 season. Broadcasts should be floating around.

It is difficult to outclass Horowitz!

Not to be forgotten: Ruth Laredo and her recorded performance from the 1970's.

[Mandryka]

Sort of. It's piano roll. I'm glad I have it (on Pierian) but I'm still not sure how accurate representation of ones playing these are.

These three outclassed, by whom?

Well, I have never heard Zhukov's Vers la Flamme. Nor Demidenko.

By the way, what do the Scriabin fans here think of Hakon Austbo's set -- I have seen good reviews but I have never sampled it.

Sort of. It's piano roll. I'm glad I have it (on Pierian) but I'm still not sure how accurate representation of ones playing these are.

I expect you also have Scriabin's own piano rolls -- they are very good.

I have an old CD called Scriabine par Scriabine (It's on a label called Saison Russe) with the Scriabin recordings, aswell as recordings by Goldenweiser, Neuhaus, Sofronitsky and Feinberg. A real beauty of a CD, it is.

Feinberg plays some Opus 3 Mazurkas -- he is by far the most convincing I have heard in early Scriabin.  Neuhaus is excellent too I think in some Opus 13 Preludes

If people are interested I'll upload the Scriabin performances, and indeed the Feinberg and Neuhaus -- PM me.

Another one I am curious about is Volodos's 10th Symphony -- anyone any views?

[George]

Well, I have never heard Zhukov's Vers la Flamme. Nor Demidenko.

By the way, what do the Scriabin fans here think of Hakon Austbo's set -- I have seen good reviews but I have never sampled it.

Two members (Todd and edward) have reported in this thread that they didn't like his Scriabin very much at all.

[SonicMan46]

Although Lettberg's performance of the Scriabin solo piano works was on my 'wish list' for a LONG time, I finally put in an order yesterday - surprised that few (maybe only Harry?) have not bought into this well reviewed box - however, price could be a little cheaper - for those who may be interested, checkout the comments on MusicWeb HERE - will report on arrival! 

[Drasko]

Well, I have never heard Zhukov's Vers la Flamme. Nor Demidenko.

I'm not much impressed by Zhukov, heavy and square. At least the one I have, live from 1993. I generally prefer his earlier efforts, like his first recording of the sonatas for Melodiya, even then he was on the slow side and hard hitting but there was edge that I don't hear in many of his later stuff (there are exceptions though). Anyhow here is 1993, maybe you'll like it more, many like later Zhukov more than me:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jkym3nzgzdo

Demidenko sounds interesting, only Scriabin I heard from him is 9th Sonata and it was good. His Vers la Flamme is on Conifer with Prokofiev Visisons Fugitives, right? Shame it's out of print.

I expect you also have Scriabin's own piano rolls -- they are very good.

Yes, I do have them, and they do sound good, but again there is the question just to what extent and nuance perforated paper can faithfully capture someone's playing.

[Lethevich]

Although Lettberg's performance of the Scriabin solo piano works was on my 'wish list' for a LONG time, I finally put in an order yesterday - surprised that few (maybe only Harry?) have not bought into this well reviewed box - however, price could be a little cheaper - for those who may be interested, checkout the comments on MusicWeb HERE - will report on arrival! 

I love it, but to be honest I'm more into the music rather than differing performances at the moment, so can't comment on its comparative merits. I admire it for the straight way it's played and the solid recorded sound.

[Luke]

...
And here's Jonathan Powell with 10 on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN9V7h-FNa4

I remember going for a post-concert drink with Jonathan Powell (he was my supervisor for a while) in which he said he hadn't learnt the Scriabin sonatas yet because they were too hard (this was probably in 1996 or 1997). As Powell is best known for his performances of the near-impossible (Sorabji, including the Opus Clavicembalisticum, the Russian Futurists, the New Complexity) and is a very fine complexity composer hinmeslf - and indeed, the concert he'd just played was the most spellbindingly complex Ferneyhough, Finnissy, Fox, Dench - that statement struck me a great deal, and has stuck with me. I assume he wasn't talking only about techinical difficulty, but of the sheer quality and importance of these works, but even so.....

[Dax]

Possibly Jonathan was talking about memorising them. A couple of months ago, I attended a concert in which he played all the sonatas (1-10) in chronological order by memory. Pretty good it was too!

[Luke]

I don't think it was that, but who knows, it was a long time ago.....I can't remember 

[Mandryka]

Anyhow here is 1993, maybe you'll like it more, many like later Zhukov more than me:
http://www.mediafire.com/?jkym3nzgzdo

Thanks -- that is very kind of you.

[Bunny]

I have most of the usual suspects' (Sokolov, Richter and some Horowitz, et al.) recordings of Scriabin and I received Yevgeny Sudbin's recording over the holidays, which is excellent.  I also have to recommend Preludes to a Revolution by Jenny Lin for the 5 Preludes Op. 74.  That album includes other composers contemporary with Scriabin and makes for very nice listening.

[cosmicj]

I actually have one of the Sofronitsky Arlecchino discs, includes a performance of the beautiful Op. 28 Fantasy.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this terrific Pletnev disc:

The performance of the Op. 11 Preludes is absolute poetry.  I don't think the two sonatas and later works are as successful but they are certainly not shabby.  It's a must-have recording for all of your Scriabinites out there.

[PaulSC]

I have been binging on Scriabin's solo piano music lately, so I was excited to learn that Brilliant are issuing a new recording of the complete sonatas by Dmitri Alexeev [Alexeyev].

http://www.youtube.com/v/cjZQVg2T9xc

http://www.brilliantclassics.com/release.aspx?id=FM00417683