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Alexander Scriabin: Sonatas
The first three of Scriabin’s ten published sonatas are in a Romantic style, reminiscent of Chopin and Liszt, but undoubtedly with Scriabin´s unique voice present from the beginning.
The brief Fourth Sonata marks an important transition for the composer: musically, he was moving ever closer toward atonality, while his personal life was marked by the deepening complexity of his theosophical ponderings.
Beginning with the fifth, Scriabin´s sonatas have no key signature and consist of only a single movement. The Seventh Sonata, Scriabin’s own favourite and nicknamed “The White Mass”, stands on the threshold of serialism.
With the ninth, so-called "Black Mass Sonata", Scriabin’s journey to his own particular brand of atonality is complete. The violence and menacing harmonies of this sonata, whose colourful subtitle is the composer´s own, are said to have shocked and frightened even the composer himself.
Last Friday, I was lucky enough to see Sokolov play Scriabin's tenth sonata, it was a truly transcendental performance. The bass notes in the first theme were played with such a delicacy, the harmonies this created were pure bliss... The next day, i listened to Ashkazy's recording and I was, erm, mildly disappointed. The sound of this Decca recording is just awful. The trills (and the high register in general) sound as if Vlad was having some fun with (saucepan) lids, and the sound is blurred and bangy.
Now... My question: what's your favourite recording of the tenth and of Scriabin's sonatas in general? I already have Pletnev's CD (sonata #10 with the préludes op 11 etc) and Volodos' (Carnegie Hall) but even these interpetations are dwarfed by Sokolov. (NB as far as I know he's only released sonata #3).
want to hear your opinions which performance is the best for each sonata? i have the hamelin set which is excellent and some richter recordings. i have the ashkenzy set too but i think he plays is poorly both techincally and musically. richter is also superb at scriabin.. especially at the 2,9 sonatas. now... what's your opinions?
HE WROTE THE BEST PIANO SONATAS! (After beethoven) the most gothic and atmopheric preludes he had dark romantic style and a total new tonality and structure he is underrated here comeon! the ultimate scriabin thread talk talk talk just scriabin
