Scriabin is G-O-D !

[hodi]

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

[prometheus]

That's what he thought, the Man-God that exists through art, and art meaning what we mean sex and art.

[dnephi]

I strongly disagree, but respectfully.

Sorry.

HIs Etudes 8#12 and 42#5 are among my absolute favorites, however.

[lours]

I don't know Scriabin well, but I'm interested in this composer, because of the dark dimension.
Can you suggest me some him best piano pieces ?

best regards,
Lours

[phil13]

I agree. And so did Scriabin, apparently. 

I constanly have at least one of his works in the repertoire I learn. His music is unbelievable.

Phil

[etudes]

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

the best sonata after Beethoven would be Liszt Sonata and Alkan Grandes Sonata ...period 

[prometheus]

Alkan who?

[dnephi]

Alkan who?

Charles-Valentin Alkan, real name Morhange.  Named by Busoni as among the greatest post Beethoven composers.

Now, I don't like his sonata much.

His symphony is in sonata form, and it's quite good.

Chopin B-flat minor sonata or Liszt Sonata or something like that would be the greatest.

I can appreciate some of his music a lot, but some sounds ......  .

Sorry.

[jre58591]

blah, i hope these threads dont start to pop up all over pianostreet like those "hardest, best, easiest" threads that you know bother the hell outta me. anyways, i really like scriabin. his sonatas and etudes continue to fascinate me. however....

the best sonata after Beethoven would be...Alkan Grandes Sonata ...period

i agree.

[invictious]

I am your new god, little boys, now worship me.

Scriabin was a genius, he was.

He works show the underlying ingeniousity underlying, especially into the piano sonatas, and his preludes, the true essence of Scriabin.

[arensky]

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

Well, how we change! About a year ago hodi made the statement that "Scriabin is a composer for smart people, Rachmaninov is a composer for all people! Yes, you know in your heart that you love Rachmaninonv more!"

Or something to that effect. Hodi, what did you hear or play or who played it, that made you change your mind? Mah inqurin' mind wants to know... 

I am immersed in Russian music right now. I'm giving a concert soon with a cellist, in between the cello sonatas by Rubinstein and Shostakovich that respectively begin and end the program I'll be playing pieces by Rachmaninov (Preludes in c#m, A major and am and another one TBA) and/or Medtner (Skazka in Bbm, Idylle in bm op.7#1 and one or two other pieces TBA) and most importantly Scriabin Sonata #5 Op.53. Along with the 5th Sonata I will be playing short pieces by Scriabin. He was so good at writing "miniatures" that I always have trouble picking, and they are so different form-wise from Rachmaninov and Medtner, with Scriabin I think it's nesscary to do more than the four each I'm doing from Rach and Medtner. Right now I'm thinking I'll do..

Left Hand Prelude op.9 #1
From Op.11 Preludes
G major
D major
f# minor
E major
B major
g# minor
Bb minor
Eb major

Sonata #5

How's that for a Scriabin group? Comments are desired.

One issue I've been struggling with is that this program seems cluttered with both Rachmaninov and Medtner on it. Right now they go between Ruby and Scriabin and/or at the opening of the 2nd half, Scriabin ends the 1st half. Should I ditch one of them, and if so which one? Getting rid of one of them means I can play more Scriabin  .

So who should go IYO ? Medtner or Rachmaninov? Mah inqurin' mind again wants to know what chu are thinkin'... 

[presto agitato]

His first pieces sound too Chopinian but i really believe that he is the best russian piano composer ever. Much better than Rachmaninov IMO.

One thing is sure: He´s music is really hard to play ˇˇ

[dnephi]

His first pieces sound too Chopinian but i really believe that he is the best russian piano composer ever. Much better than Rachmaninov IMO.

One thing is sure: He´s music is really hard to play ˇˇ

Of his later works, for instance, Op. 42 #3 and Vers La Flamme, I have the opinion that they don't really sound too good and that the earlier "Chopinian" is better. Of course, I highly value 42 5 but I have already said that 8 times :p.  Are there any other works by him that someone like myself would enjoy, as opposed to the modernists?

[phil13]

Of his later works, for instance, Op. 42 #3 and Vers La Flamme, I have the opinion that they don't really sound too good and that the earlier "Chopinian" is better. Of course, I highly value 42 5 but I have already said that 8 times :p.  Are there any other works by him that someone like myself would enjoy, as opposed to the modernists?

I don't care much for Op.42 No.3 either, it bothers me.

Try the rest of the Op.42 etudes, especially Nos. 4, 6, and 8 if you like No.5. Also, take a look at the 10th Sonata, although that may be beyond your tastes. That and vers la flamme are two of my favorite late Scriabin works.

Phil

[hodi]

Well, how we change! About a year ago hodi made the statement that "Scriabin is a composer for smart people, Rachmaninov is a composer for all people! Yes, you know in your heart that you love Rachmaninonv more!"

Or something to that effect. Hodi, what did you hear or play or who played it, that made you change your mind? Mah inqurin' mind wants to know... 

i totally changed my mind
scriabin is great musical genius
i ADORE his music


what do u think of his orchestral music?
i like symphony no.2,poem of extacy and poem of fire the most!

[tompilk]

get hamelin's 5tgh sonata by scriabin - and it'll be with you forever!
tom

[prometheus]

Richter's 5th is much better.

[dough_mouse]

Scriabin Sonatas >>>>> Beethoven Sonatas

[pies]

Scriabin was a dog

[thierry13]

Richter's 5th is much better.

Disagree. Hamelin's 5th pwn Richter's one. I must admit Richter's one is amazing too, tough. But Hamelin is simply THE best for this sonata.

[arensky]

Richter's 5th is much better.

Yes.

But between Richter's and Horowitz' it's a tossup.

Roberto Szidon also plays the hell out of this piece.

[arensky]

i totally changed my mind
scriabin is great musical genius
i ADORE his music


what do u think of his orchestral music?
i like symphony no.2,poem of extacy and poem of fire the most!

I think his orchestral music tends to be over orchestrated and diffuse but I love it! My favorite is the Poem of Fire, closely followed by the Poem of Ecstasy.

[thracozaag]

Yes.

But between Richter's and Horowitz' it's a tossup.

Roberto Szidon also plays the hell out of this piece.

  The 2 different Horowitz 5th's I've heard are fantastic, of course.  Sofronitsky's (the 1955 live), Richter's (1962 live), and Feinberg's are also personal favorites.  Hamelin's (both the studio and the one time I heard him live) bored me, phenomenal pianism notwithstanding.

koji

[mephisto]

Ashkenazy live and Hamelin.

Pretty much everyone I have heard plays it well: Richter, Horowitz, Szidon and Austbř.

Prometheus is possibly my favourite piece of music of all time. When the chorus enters I am almost ina  different world.

[arensky]

  The 2 different Horowitz 5th's I've heard are fantastic, of course.  Sofronitsky's (the 1955 live), Richter's (1962 live), and Feinberg's are also personal favorites.  Hamelin's (both the studio and the one time I heard him live) bored me, phenomenal pianism notwithstanding.

koji

And yours is none too shabby either.... 

For those who have not heard...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdQVEGta1pk&mode=related&search=

Also curious about what people think of this performance; it has some weak moments but I think she conveys something unique and special about this piece, I like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M91lMShw8s&mode=related&search=

[arensky]

Ashkenazy live and Hamelin.

Pretty much everyone I have heard plays it well: Richter, Horowitz, Szidon and Austbř.

Prometheus is possibly my favourite piece of music of all time. When the chorus enters I am almost ina  different world.

It's what he intended;  mankind set free, having been given the power of fire, before known only to the gods.

[invictious]

phenomenal pianism

koji

note use of alliteration, it creates a sense of rhythm, and the alliteration of 'p' makes the reader slow down, which emphasizes the rhythm, creating a march-like rhythm in this context, with emphasis on the downbeat with the 'ph' sound.

Wow..

[dnephi]

note use of alliteration, it creates a sense of rhythm, and the alliteration of 'p' makes the reader slow down, which emphasizes the rhythm, creating a march-like rhythm in this context, with emphasis on the downbeat with the 'ph' sound.

Wow..

It's not alliteration.  Thanks anyway for the laugh,

Daniel

[leo_g]

So why haven't anyone mentioned his Sonata no 2 in G-sharp minor yet?

At least the first movement is, considering it geing a Scriabin work, fairly easy to play

This Richter interpratation is great:

Second movement too:

After hearing this anyone should be wanting to play this 


Oh and first post by the way...

[thierry13]

Also curious about what people think of this performance; it has some weak moments but I think she conveys something unique and special about this piece, I like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M91lMShw8s&mode=related&search=

I think it's on the weak side in general, with some few good things here and there.

[quantum]

I think it's on the weak side in general, with some few good things here and there.

I think too many people have been harzh on YouTube comments.  It is a different interpretation.

[tim_budapest]

Scriabin is the only composer who has sustained my interest in piano in over forty years of amateur musicianship.  When I turn on the radio ... I have heard everything!  I am bored by everything!  But Scriabin!!!   Although I am new here in your forum, and see a lot of interesting posts, golly, this thread is so old!  I wonder if anyone is left who would like to renew the Flame, and share a correspondence with me about this great composer, who had one foot in the romantic era, and one in our  own age absolutely.//  When we say Scriabn is God we mean, I think, that he has in his scores indicated a _juissance_ which can only be experienced by those who strive to  his musical landscapes in performance, that is, in a moment of Creation.  This differs from other composers, for example Mozart  whose aim was simply, To Please (audience, women, teachers).   Scriabin thought if you cannot span my chords then be damned.   However I think the marked over-fast tempi are inflated by later publishers, or perhaps such exaggerated tempi as one sometimes hears in the commercial recordings are either computer enhanced, drug-induced, or simply the obsessive consequence of someone more mad than I.
tim

[redbaron]

Etude Op 42, No 7 is divine

[keyboardclass]

I dig.

[djealnla]

Deleted

[nearenough]

There are several reasons for loving Scriabin. He imitated Chopin? Yes, this is a good reason, if only more composers could do it. But even his early works have distinctive melodies and rhythms and are not mere copies of another.

After this romantic conventionally harmonic phase, he slowly veered towards mysticism and atonality, abandoning key signatures with his 6th sonata and developing his "mystic" chord of 4ths, which I find alluring. He was influenced by theosophy (not that I find that very deep or intellectually attractive) which egged him on to more involuted almost paranormal creation. His last works had all sorts of specific emotive directions as to performance and interpretation.

Most regrettably he died unexpectedly (as most people do!) at the age of 43 while he was planning his ultimate composition the "Mysterium"; this would use a colored light projector keyed to the music, employing vast forces in India with choruses, bells and incense -- a grandiloquent appeal to unifying life forces, philosophy and music. His demise was a mundane lip boil and septicemia. He left notes and suggestions as to this unrealized work which was recreated by Semtin (?sp) as "Universe" on a LP some 20+years ago.

Ahh, what could have been.

[bryce123456]

With all due respect to the previous opinions stated, the culmination of the sonata is beyond any shadow of a doubt found in Liszt's B Minor Sonata, but I adore Scriabin's sonatas, and love the technical mastery found in Alkan's.

[djealnla]

Deleted

[rv]

Yes! Scriabin is my favorite composer at the moment and the best part is, I still have to listen to most of his music.
I can play 3 pieces by him (2/1, 8/5 and 11/1) and hope to study more.

My absolute favorite recordings are so far the Fantasie by Sofronitsky, Etude 8/5 by Richter, Etude 2/1, 8/12 & 42/5 by Horowitz, Sonata #2 by Richter and Vers La Flamme by Horowitz.

Hamelin also does a fantastic job at the Fantasie and Sonata #2... check out his movement 2:

Etude 8/4... magical little piece, Sofronitsky is marvelous:

Prelude 11/14 by Pletnev.. awesome!

[nearenough]

I have long adored Scriabin, ever since Horowitz gave his 1953 recital and quit on me when I was just learning piano. The 9th sonata and op 42 #5 which many have mentioned were revelations. Scriabin  *created* a new world. Yes, he may have taken some ideas from Chopin early on, but this canard is overplayed. His op 11 preludes are masterpieces of concision and buds of genius, each different and satisfying. (Chopin, I must say was a profoundly greater composer with his utterly diverse op 28 collection and bizarre Sonata 2, not to take anything away from our man here).

What is tragic is Scriabin's death from septicemia from a common boil on his lip, when he was about to burst forward with his "Mysterium" grand composition, with bells, incense and choirs on Indian mountains. Who knows what he would have wrought, but sadly it will forever be as dark and obscure as his mystic chord.

[iancollett6]

Scriabin is the most underrated composer, IMO. I just love those strong dark tones. This is the sound that I look for in classical music. The guy was a genius..

[g_s_223]

I find the Scriabin sonatas have some interesting moments, but I find that he cannot really develop his motivic material as I would expect in a true sonata form development section a la Beethoven or Schubert for example. The material is often elaborated in various relatively simple ways, but I don't sense a real synphonic argument there: also his modulations are infrequent, weak and uninteresting. These works should really be entitled fantasies rather than sonatas.

One slightly later Russian composer who *did* write proper piano sonatas is Prokofiev: these are the real deal.

[zezhyrule]

Scriabin is my absolutest favorite composer of all time. Love 'im.

[patrickd]

Scriabin is pretty awesome indeed even though I prefer the music of Prokofiev in comparison.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Read my signature...

Because you made this thread, I shall spare you!

[birba]

I'm glad someone resurected this thread.  I'm embarassed to say it, but the only scriabin i've ever played is his op.8 no.12 etude.  I want a poll on everyone's favorite sonata.  My next project.  And please spare me rach4ever!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm glad someone resurected this thread.  I'm embarassed to say it, but the only scriabin i've ever played is his op.8 no.12 etude.  I want a poll on everyone's favorite sonata.  My next project.  And please spare me rach4ever!

Let's be Op. 8 No. 12 buddies!

[birba]

But besides that, what is your favorite sonata?

[birba]

I'm waiting...

[outin]

I'm waiting...

How to pick one favorite cherry from a bowl of delicious ones? Not so easy