Most accessible Scriabin Sonata for an audience- recital programme

[dmk]

Hi all.....

A bit of background on what im trying to do.  My old duet partner and I have decided to do a charity concert at the end of March/beginning of April 2006.  He wants to do three c.30 min recitals with two intermissions of 15 mins. Structured as follows:

HIS SOLO

15 min interval

MY SOLO

15 min interval

DUET MUSIC

The concert is going to be at the house of a little old couple who have funded some of my duet partners projects.  It is basically going to be full of similar old people who go to concerts a couple of times a year, know very little about music and clap loudly when they go got international competitions and someone can play something fast and loud.

For my duet partners 30 mins he is either going to play the Hammerklavier or two shorter classical sonatas like the Beethoven op 26 or 27 n1 or op78 etc and the Mozart K284.

For my half we wanted to program some stuff that the little old people would not here in their normal concert venturings so I was thinking

Scriabin: Sonata no 9
Gluck/Sgambatti: Melodie
Bach/Kabalevsky: Toccata and Fugue in D minor ("Dorian")
(BTW thanks so much for the score Thalberg)

My duet partner is keen on the above program.

I play the first two and after playing through the last a few times last night im pretty confident I can learn that by late March.  The logic is that they are unlikely to have heard any Scriabin (other the op 2/1 or op 8/12) so I wanted to play one of his late sonatas, after alienating my audience I wanted to play something to bring them back (hence the Melodie) I then wanted to play something they never would have heard but something they will definately like (hence the Bach/Kabalevsky)

So what do you guys think??? Is there a more accessible for the audience late Scriabin Sonata?? I can play 5 and 10, I have a reasonable dig at 6, and 7 (although I can hack through it) is probably out of my league in terms of a performance I could be proud of.  Never really had a good go at 8 (although I like it a lot!!!)

Sorry about the long post.....I am really keen to hear some constructive thoughts.

As I said its a short program and I am pretty happy with the last two pieces as they are something the audience will like and they would not have heard the Bach/Kabalevsky (so please no suggestions of I think you should add some Rachmaninov, not what this programme is about....)

cheers

dmk

[shasta]

Hmmm, I don't know about a late Scriabin for this type of audience.  If it were me, I would probably do several shorter pieces of various levels of oomph, dissonance, and energy rather than an 8+ minute Scriabin #9. 

I'm thinking something more along the lines of:

*1-2 of Scriabin Op. 11 preludes
*the Albeniz-Godowsky Tango  or  any of Lecuona's Andalusia Suite
*Rach's Moment Musicaux 16/4 (the presto)
*Maybe something fun by Gottschalk, Gershwin, or Joplin

Good luck! Sounds like you'll have fun regardless! Let us know what you end up playing!

[dmk]

Hmmm, I don't know about a late Scriabin for this type of audience.  If it were me, I would probably do several shorter pieces of various levels of oomph, dissonance, and energy rather than an 8+ minute Scriabin #9. 

I'm thinking something more along the lines of:

*1-2 of Scriabin Op. 11 preludes
*the Albeniz-Godowsky Tango  or  any of Lecuona's Andalusia Suite
*Rach's Moment Musicaux 16/4 (the presto)
*Maybe something fun by Gottschalk, Gershwin, or Joplin

Good luck! Sounds like you'll have fun regardless! Let us know what you end up playing!

Thanks for the thoughts!!!!   I do love that Lecuona

I picked 9 not only becuase I thought it might be the most accessible for them but because its only around 9-10mins long....(maybe too long??)

The point I suppose was to expose this kind of audience to something really different that they wouldn't have heard before.  I can play the Janacek 1/x/1905 which I thought of but it doesn't really have the 20th centuryness (ok not really a word!) that I was looking for.  I have quite a bit of Bartok etc but I thought something like the Out of Doors Suite would be more of a no go zone than the Scriabin!! 

I am keen for a 20th century sonata that is around the 9-10 min mark and (aside from the length issue) not something like the Barber, Bartok, Prokofiev's, Ginastera's or Rachmaninov's which get played quite a lot, and to be honest, I am very keen to expose the audience to some Scriabin...

too much to think about.....!!!!!

thank you so much!

dmk

[al]

If you were considering no. 5, then why not no. 4?  It's not really late Scriabin, but it does sound kind of 20th centuryish and its definitely more accessible than the others (a later Scriabin sonata might be too much for the audience that you described).  It's also not that technically difficult (depending on how fast you play the 2nd mvt), and it lasts about 9-10 mins.

BTW, do you have a score or recording for the Bach/Kabalevsky? It sounds interesting.

[prometheus]

I would say number four.

[dmk]

If you were considering no. 5, then why not no. 4?  It's not really late Scriabin, but it does sound kind of 20th centuryish and its definitely more accessible than the others (a later Scriabin sonata might be too much for the audience that you described).  It's also not that technically difficult (depending on how fast you play the 2nd mvt), and it lasts about 9-10 mins.

BTW, do you have a score or recording for the Bach/Kabalevsky? It sounds interesting.

Thanks so much for the thoughts

I wasn't really considering 5 although I can play it so if others thought it might be more accessible then I would have reevaluated....4 is a good idea but I can't play it!!! Im not sure if I would have the time between now and March to learn it along with the Bach/Kabalevsky

Courteousy of Thalberg I have the score...PM me and I will forward it on!!! It is tops

[etudes]

For my duet partners 30 mins he is either going to play the Hammerklavier or two shorter classical sonatas like the Beethoven op 26 or 27 n1 or op78 etc and the Mozart K284.

is your duet partner come from da SDC??? play Hammerklavier sonata from beethoven in 30 mins???
btw i love the 4th Sonata so much (also 5 but i prefer the 4th more)
i haver never heard Bach/Kabalevsky Toccata i should check it out!

[dmk]

is your duet partner come from da SDC??? play Hammerklavier sonata from beethoven in 30 mins???
btw i love the 4th Sonata so much (also 5 but i prefer the 4th more)
i haver never heard Bach/Kabalevsky Toccata i should check it out!

Oh god!!! he is definately not from da SDC nor is he the SDC type....!!! (He would have a great laugh @ that!)

It will def go over 30 mins (this was just our ball park figure) and I imagine that he will judiciously ignore the repeat....more likely between 35-40

The 4th is a gem, I just can't play it!

BTW The Bach/Kabalevsky is fantastic....I first heard when I was listening to the Hyperion's Russian Bach transcriptions 5 CD with Hamish Milne.  I was listening to it for a few of the Bach/Siloti's and found this little gem.

cheers

dmk

[quantum]

I think you can make it more accessible by talking about Scriabin and the composition, instead of playing it without informing the audience what it is about. 

Tell them a bit about Scriabin, and describe his styles.  Then talk about the Sonata, what it ment to Scriabin, and what you think of when you play it. 

I agree with Sonata #4 being accessible.  But for your audience it would be better to play a Sonata that you are familiar with because you will be introducing this music to people who have never heard it.  You would be more equiped to go more into the sound and music than just hack through notes. 

I'd say #9 or 10 is a good choice. 

[bearzinthehood]

5 is pretty accessible IMO. It was probably the most accessible one to me out of the later ones when I was first listening to Scriabin, kinda got me into the later ones.

[dmk]

UPDATE: am definately going to stick to a late Scriabin sonata my duet partner and I are really keen to expose our audience to some variety and things they would not ordinarily hear (so while they talk about my weird pieces they can praise his brilliance!!)

I think you can make it more accessible by talking about Scriabin and the composition, instead of playing it without informing the audience what it is about. 

Tell them a bit about Scriabin, and describe his styles.  Then talk about the Sonata, what it ment to Scriabin, and what you think of when you play it. 

I agree with Sonata #4 being accessible.  But for your audience it would be better to play a Sonata that you are familiar with because you will be introducing this music to people who have never heard it.  You would be more equiped to go more into the sound and music than just hack through notes. 

I'd say #9 or 10 is a good choice. 

Thanks quantum......in small concerts like this, particularly when its going to charity and the audience consists of relatively well off old people I always talk about each piece before I play it.
 
I am still keen to hear wether people think 5,6,9 or 10 would be better.  I  play all of them now, and besides general work which you always put in before a concert (besides 6 which would need some more TLC) they are all ready in a loose sense (nothing is every perfect and i always fiddle with pieces!!)...

5 is pretty accessible IMO. It was probably the most accessible one to me out of the later ones when I was first listening to Scriabin, kinda got me into the later ones.

thanks mate....5 is a little longer...worries me slightly??

[dmk]

bump....!!!!


All these people on this forum who profess to LOVE Scriabin, that he wrote the best piano sonatas of all time, even better than Beethoven's and 6 people have an opinion on whether 5,6,9 or 10 is the most accessible late Scriabin Piano Sonata for an audience.....come on guys!!!

BTW we are still learning towards 9..

cheers

dmk

[pita bread]

Are you really able to handle #5, 6, 9, or 10?

[dmk]

Are you really able to handle #5, 6, 9, or 10?

ahh...thanks for your concern but I can play 5,9 and 10 and have been playing them for around 3 years and number 6 I have been playing for around 1 1/2....its okay, I am not a random 13 year old seeking some advice who has just mastered Fur Elise....

read my full first post....I would be interested in your thoughts on what is most accessible for an audience though.

cheers

dmk

[pita bread]

The 5th works best, plenty of sensuality mixed with drama.

[superstition2]

Pick the one you play well. That's what ultimately matters. If you don't play any of them really well, play something else.