scriabin op.28 fantasy in b minor

[hodi]

just tell me everything u know about this piece, diffculty :musically and technically, compare it to other pieces of him/pieces of other composers..

[nicco]

no you tell me!

[hodi]

i thought that there are many scriabin fans around here..

every little detail about this piece is essentional!

[alzado]

The initial posting in this thread is rather preposterous.

Do you want us to write your term paper for you, or . . . what is it?

As we advance further into music -- and certainly before we can even begin to play anything this difficult -- we should all surely have the capability to do some simple research.  That includes you.

Try the Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians, in about 26 volumes. Every library of any size will have it.  Lord, if it isn't in there, you ARE in trouble.

[hodi]

The initial posting in this thread is rather preposterous.

Do you want us to write your term paper for you, or . . . what is it?

As we advance further into music -- and certainly before we can even begin to play anything this difficult -- we should all surely have the capability to do some simple research.  That includes you.

Try the Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians, in about 26 volumes. Every library of any size will have it.  Lord, if it isn't in there, you ARE in trouble.

1. i'm not writing any paper about that, i just thinking of learning this piece
2. i don't think it's in the library here because it's not tranlsted to hebrew afaik..
3. i just want to learn here from users who played this piece some tips and advices regarding this piece..

[mikey6]

From reading the booklets notes on my Lazar Berman recording, it had tremendously difficult pacing issues as the coda re-examins the themes again, making the (3?) climaxes difficult to execute.  Apaprently Berman is the only one who can do this (I haven't listened to it yet, but it left the right impression on the critic)

[superstition2]

I prefer Glemser's performance to Hamelin's.

[andrewg]

Of the dozen or so recordings I've heard this piece Berman's is the best.

[elias89]

I've got a Volodos recording of this piece (Radio broadcast from "Schwetzinger Festspiele 2005").... It is FANTASTIC, an incredible work. Would love to play that too.

Once a pianist came to Scriabins house and tested a little the instrument (Sriabin himself was sitting in the living-room).  The pianist (I've forgotten his name ) began to play the main theme of the fantasy in b minor.  Scriabin asked him immediately: "Who wrote that piece?" And the pianist replied: "Master Scriabin that's your own work!"
NO JOKE

Horowitz was right saying: "He was completely crazy"------- but wrote breathtaking music!!!!

[superstition2]

I think the point of that anecdote is that Scriabin had progressed so far musically (or at least he thought so) beyond that Fantasy that he pretended not to know it.

I don't think Scriabin was crazy. The physical symptoms Horowitz described (tremors) are likely the result of heavy metal poisoning or some other environmental factor. The advice Scriabin gave when he heard Horowitz play was not the gibbering of a madman. It was sound practical advice. Scriabin's mysticism was flamboyant from the start. Look at the 1st symphony. That it became more elaborate as his music gained in complexity is hardly evidence of insanity. Scriabin was a genius like Van Gogh and like Van Gogh, I believe he suffered from some sort of poisoning. Such poisoning by heavy metals or other contaminants was common in the past. Beethoven's deafness came from lead poisoning. Artists like Monet went blind or developed diabetes (Cezanne) from paints containing toxic metals and the use of VOCs. Cezanne's favorite color, Emerald Green, is an unstable arsenic-copper compound that Van Gogh also used heavily. It's likely that Monet lived a long life because he preferred other green chemicals, like the much safer Viridian, made with Chromium.

The romantic notions people have about "the artistic temperment" are based on insufficient analysis of environmental toxins. Van Gogh's temperment was artistic from the beginning, but as his exposure to paint chemicals increased and the build-up of metals in his system developed, the psychosis that he exhibited in his last years gradually appeared. Scriabin doubtless wasn't exposed to nearly the level of toxins that Van Gogh was. It's almost miraculous that he was able to survive after ingesting his paints. If he had eaten Emerald Green, he probably would have died rapidly.

Unlike Van Gogh, I don't think Scriabin's poisoning was severe enough to progress to psychosis, which Van Gogh had in bouts. But, it's quite conceivable that lead pipes or other sources of metal poisoning are responsible for Scriabin's tremors.

I think it is true, however, that intensity of thought can carry a physical price. Horowitz's immense intensity as a young pianist may have caused mental deterioration resulting in his use of anti-depressants and retreat from public performance. The immune system has been shown to be directly affected by mental state. Epstein Barr syndrome (chronic fatigue) may be related not just to the immune system's reaction to an infectious agent, but also to the mind. Cher and Anne Rice cited chronic overwork as the cause of their bouts. However, the syndrome itself is controversial.

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

One of the interesting things about art(music,painting,etc), is that it can be approached in many different ways. Scriabin's personality and music is so much multi-faceted, that a piece of music probably had so much meaning to him, that he wanted to ask the pianist for his opinion and knowledge.

[pianowelsh]

good piece. I ve considered learning it myself several times and then changed my mind for something else. Unless your good at leaping about id leave it alone. The final section is to die for and for some players it sounds like they did die in the attempt - watch out for it, it is tricky and if you begin too fast you havent a hope at the end. Its a great piece if you can keep it quite lifted and keep bringing the sound out of the piano rather than hammering the keys down as it can sound lumbering and turgid otherwise.  Very pretty tune though which wafts above all the Lh rumbling and tumbling. Tis tough though, you will be giving yourself quite a challenge so leave yourself plenty of time if its for a concert or exam. Having said that I love it and would recommend it. I will learn it properly soon. its on the to do pile now.

[hodi]

how is it comparing to his 9th sonata (musically & technically) ?

[wzkit]

I would strongly recommend listening to Vladimir Sofronitzky's interpretation of this work, which IMO, beats all others hands down. He was Scriabin's son-in-law.