Scriabin Waltz Op.38

[m]

.

[pianowolfi]

OOOOOOHH, the nostalgic piece Nr. 1 for me. Reminds me of a time when I was very happy and played that one. You play it delightfully, really. Now... the devilish octaves..wow, really very good. i used to arrange very much between right and left hand there. And then the c8 which I hadn't on my piano, needed to practise that on the digital then. Very tender the last part yesss! great and lovely performance! I couldn't play it that well.

[arensky]

This is great playing marik! A real singing line and a beautiful tone, with a great technique. You balance the romantic and impressionistic qualities of this piece perfectly, without letting one or the other predominate. Those climactic LH octaves are like butter, unbelievably fast with extraordinary execution. This was interesting for me to listen to as I have never heard a performance or recording of this piece but have read through it many times. The way you manage the rubato is interesting, it gave me some new ideas about how to play this piece, which I intend to do someday. Thanks for posting this. 

[quasimodo]

respect! 

[pianistimo]

that was beautiful to me, too!  why does the piano sound sharp?  i sorta like the sharp effect - but it seems to go sharper as one gets higher up the keyboard instead of a constant sharpness.  is there a reason for this?

[m]

why does the piano sound sharp?  i sorta like the sharp effect - but it seems to go sharper as one gets higher up the keyboard instead of a constant sharpness.  is there a reason for this?

The explanation is one word--Bösendorfer.

[Motrax]

 

- M

(bumped, so more people listen! It's a great piece and a great recording!)

[pianowolfi]

- M

(bumped, so more people listen! It's a great piece and a great recording!)

Seconded!!!!!!

[rachfan]

Hi Marik,

I had never heard this waltz of Scriabin before, but enjoyed it, and particularly your playing of the piece, immensely.   You brought out the poetry and all the moments of intensity and sensuousness beautifully.  Congratulations on your fine performance! 

[stringoverstrung]

Marik,

you mentioned in your Hungarian rhapsody thread https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,20423.0.html

that your scriabin waltz got fewer hits then "action music".

Believe me your Scriabin Waltz moved me more then hit counts will ever express. Compare it to television audience viewing figures.

Thank you very much!!!
str.strung

[jakev2.0]

Bravo, Marik. 

[PaulNaud]

I took the score and I listened to it carefully.
Hey guys!!! This is a performance of a very high standard!!!
It reminds me of Sofronitsky's interpretation of Scriabin.
We're dealing with an ARTIST!!!
WHO IS THAT PIANIST???
 

[vladimirdounin]

Rarely performed piece, live.

Marik, congratulations! You are a very good pianist here! You are definitely hard worker and a real pathfinder, tracker! Who else will play nowadays  this died long time ago and, probably, forever music. I hope, that you were the last who did it.

You played it very well in general, however I did not detect any trace of WALTZ in your Timing and Dynamics. All these unusual groups of four and five notes in Right Hand make sense only on the condition that bases and chords in Left Hand  provide solid impression of "standard" waltz. Without this 3/4  background all these rhytmical novations make impression of chaotic disorder. For Scriabin's Sonata it could work on all 100%, but for waltz???

I am not sure that you had enough reasons to cancel many of Scriabin's ritenutos, accelerandos, a tempos etc. At least, I expected from you higher accuracy and respect to this text, whatever I feel about the majority of Scriabins works for 2006. (Reservation: some of them are really genius and for ever, of course).

Sorry, if I have not diluted my opinion with sufficient quantity of compliments. However, both of us are strait guys in our judgments. Aren't we?

I definitely will listen to your other recordings. They (that I listened to already) are very interesting and played nicely.

With my best wishes,

Vladimir. 

[PaulNaud]

You played it very well in general, however I did not detect any trace of WALTZ in your Timing and Dynamics. All these unusual groups of four and five notes in Right Hand make sense only on the condition that bases and chords in Left Hand  provide solid impression of "standard" waltz. Without this 3/4  background all these rhytmical novations make impression of chaotic disorder. For Scriabin's Sonata it could work on all 100%, but for waltz???

You cannot play this piece as a waltz, and you definitely should not count 1 2 3   1 2 3  1 2 3.
This is a poetic waltz, powerfully atmospheric and Marik's interpretation is translating accurately Scriabin's wild mysticism.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY MARIK!!!

[vladimirdounin]

You cannot play this piece as a waltz, and you definitely should not count 1 2 3   1 2 3  1 2 3.
This is a poetic waltz, powerfully atmospheric and Marik's interpretation is translating accurately Scriabin's wild mysticism.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY MARIK!!!

I can not argue with your definition OUTSTANDING, but why I can not wish not outstanding but NORMAL ONE?

Any waltz SHOULD BE PLAYED AS A WALTZ, including "this a poetic waltz". Can I or Marik play it in a way that composer wrote? - It is another story. My opininon is : we both can not. I am to lazy to learn this boring FOR ME (only) music. Marik, in my opinion, has no idea: how to play waltz, as well as you.

Thank you any way!

 Yours Sincerely,

 Vladimir   

[PaulNaud]

this boring FOR ME (only) music

SHAME ON YOU!!!

[m]

Dear Vladimir,

I appreciate your comments and indeed, it very well might be the case that I have no idea how to play waltz. However, I believe, somehow you have a wrong idea about what "Scriabin's Waltz" is and your statements like: "I hope, that you were the last who did it", or "this boring music" just support it. If you really want to make this waltz boring and square then by all means you can play it as 1 2 3   1 2 3  1 2 3.

Once I had a discussion about this Waltz with my dear teacher Lev Naumov, who for me still is an utmost authority, and whose opinion was that Scriabin's Waltz is much more subtle than a "conventional" waltz and is all about long phrases, capricious turns, shapes, and dreamy mood.
It is much more about "stylization", rather than "straight in your face"--look! here we have a waltz! and I'm gonna show it to you!

The fact that Sofronitsky's (another man who understood about Scriabin a thing or two) takes the same approach in performance of this piece, completely confirms Naumov's words.
 
Yes, I could play it as a conventional Waltz, but (in my opinion) it would be contrary to what Scriabin himself wanted in this music. Once again, I might be wrong here, but that's what I believe, whether you like it or not.

I however, would appreciate if you could show more specifically (i.e. with measure numbers) where I cancelled many of Scriabin's ritenuti, accelerandi, and a tempi, you mentioned. Usually, I try to be accurate in respect to the text, but I learnt it in about ten days before the concert, so could overlook something.

Best, Mark

[pianowolfi]

This is a very interesting discussion for me. I have played this waltz for Konstantin Scherbakov in a masterclass. Konstantin Scherbakov is also a student of Prof. Naumov. And the first thing Scherbakov said after my playing: "I miss the most important thing in a waltz: the three four time! You need always to feel it. Whatever happens, this must lead you through the piece!" I was playing very freely as i had worked this with my teacher before and he was more into (even extreme) rubato playing. And it was my struggle with that peace to get the right combination of rubato and three four!

[PaulNaud]

"I miss the most important thing in a waltz: the three four time! You need always to feel it.

Also despite what has been said above by Vladimir, you can really feel the waltz rythm. It is a floating waltz with post-romantic flavour. I listened again to Marik's performance. It's an absolute magnificence. I followed the score step by step. He is playing it AFFABILE as indicated in the score.
TAKE THE SCORE AND CHECK!!!
You should listen to Sofronitski's interpretations of Scriabin and you'll understand what I mean!
You don't know you guys we're dealing here with a great artist. And I repeat again this is outstanding piano playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

And I repeat again this is outstanding piano playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indeed. 100% agreed. Listening to Marik's recordings is both humbling and very pleasurable.

[phil13]

Simply incredible. My new favorite recording of this work.

Marik, what else did you play in this recital? (besides Chopin Op.25 No.6, which you posted at the same time) Was it a full solo recital?

Phil

[vladimirdounin]

The fact that Sofronitsky's (another man who understood about Scriabin a thing or two) takes the same approach in performance of this piece, completely confirms Naumov's words.
 
Yes, I could play it as a conventional Waltz, but (in my opinion) it would be contrary to what Scriabin himself wanted in this music. Once again, I might be wrong here, but that's what I believe, whether you like it or not.

I however, would appreciate if you could show more specifically (i.e. with measure numbers) where I cancelled many of Scriabin's ritenuti, accelerandi, and a tempi, you mentioned. Usually, I try to be accurate in respect to the text, but I learnt it in about ten days before the concert, so could overlook something.

Best, Mark

Dear Marik,

I did not see another pianist who played (many times) his concerts in overcrowded concert hall (The White Hall of New Corpus Of Mosconservatory) after his death. People still kept coming from time to time just to listen to recordings of Great Artist Sofronitsky. I was and am highly impressed with many of his outstanding performances.

Was he absolutely accurate in following the text? I am not sure. I can remember right now, for instance, E Major Study Op.8 that he played in a very unusual way. I remember this because I like Sofronitsky's way to play MORE. Though not everything and not always.

Are you sure that Prof. Naumov (many friends of mine were his students and admired him) did not just rely on Sofronitsky regarding Scryabin's works?

In any case: "De gustibus non disputantur" (Tastes are not the matter for argumentation) and "Amicus Plato sed magis amicus veritas" (Platon is my friend but the truth is a greater friend).
Sorry, for possible inaccuracy, quotation from memory.

I scanned 3 pages of Waltz for you, where my eyes and ears received not adequate impression.
However, even afer 2 hours of transmitting these files still were not attached. Maybe, you know the way to convert this "IMG48002.tif" into some other ,"Forum friendly" files? 

All the best!

Vladimir.

[jlh]

Are you sure that Prof. Naumov (many friends of mine were his students and admired him) did not just rely on Sofronitsky regarding Scryabin's works?

Well let's take inventory...

Sofronitsky:

• Pupil, follower and son-in-law of Scriabin
• Scriabin's wife heard him play and vouched that the he was the "most authentic interpreter of her late husband's works"
  
• His colleagues Horowitz, Richter, Gilels and Nuehaus held him in the highest esteem
  
• When Sofronitsky once toasted that Richter was a genius, Richter called him a god in response
  
• Once considered the greatest pianist in Russia

If Prof. Naumov were "just relying on Sofronitsky regarding Scryabin's works", I would say that they were making a safe bet regarding authentic interpretation.

[jlh]

Marik,

I just listened to this recording.  Unbelievable that you got it to this level in 10 days!    You are indeed a true artist!

Josh

[ganymed]

wow... very very amazing...
As I looked at the notes i was shocked lol. I wonder how you distribute so many notes on just 2 hands ?!  
what a tremendous perfomance of such a hard piece.

[pianowolfi]

As I looked at the notes i was shocked lol. I wonder how you distribute so many notes on just 2 hands ?!
what a tremendous perfomance of such a hard piece.

Lol I once asked Scherbakov, after he had performed Liszt-Beethoven 5th Symphony, where he had hidden his two additional hands. He smiled, pointed to his head and said "there"..  

[ganymed]

never knew that you attended master classes wow ^^.
may I know how expensive master classes are in general ?
I was always curious of that hehehe

[pianowolfi]

never knew that you attended master classes wow ^^.
may I know how expensive master classes are in general ?
I was always curious of that hehehe

Well that one I don't remember, maybe 250 sfr? It included accomodation, meals, an evening concert with the master, a lesson of 45 min for each participant and practice facilities.