Scriabin, Prelude Op. 37, No. 1 in B flat minor

[rachfan]

Alexander Scriabin composed the Prelude Op. 37, No. 1 in B flat minor in 1903, thus it fits into his middle period literature for the piano. The piece is marked mesto (mournful), and I would characterize it as a lament. It's a piece of great beauty, so I hope you'll enjoy hearing it.

Comments welcome.

David

Piano: Baldwin Model L Artist Grand (6’3”) with lid fully open
Recorder: Korg MR-1000
Microphones: Earthworks TC-20 matched pair of small diaphragm omni-directional condenser mics in A-B configuration

[costicina]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!  I love so much Scriabin's sets of Preludes, and you are one of the finest, if not the finest interpreter of them I've ever heard. Everyting is perfect: tempo, touch, dynamics, musical intention: thank you so much for sharing!!!!!
Marg

[rachfan]

Hi Marg,

You're generous with your praise, and I very much appreciate it!  It's a pleasure to share great music like this prelude.  I believe this is the best one yet of the preludes that I've selected to date.  I couldn't resist playing it.  And when I did play it, it became a passion.

Thanks for listening!

David

[49410enrique]

your Scriabin performances have been so inspiring, first for me to continue to push more and more for better control and expression the etude I hope to finish soon, and after this performance, it inspired and moved me to take a walk on the 'quiet' side. i was just asked to play some piano for 'background' misc stuff at wedding gathering and like you i am really drawn to the middle period as of late. 

i hope to push hard to make quick work of it and will post it soon.

just wanted to share a different comment other then the normal (and certainly deserved/earned) praise for such sensitive playing, but rather how you've moved me to action to 'grow' as a pianist by delving deeper into one of my favorite composers.

Thanks for sharing this and I hope to give you a nice rendition of the Mazurka Op 25 No. 3 in several weeks time (if it still isn't quite 'recording' ready at the wedding i'll prob give a few more weeks but certainly by the end of the 'summer').
there i said it. now i'm definately on the hook to follow through.

[rachfan]

Hi enrique,

just wanted to share a different comment other then the normal (and certainly deserved/earned) praise for such sensitive playing, but rather how you've moved me to action to 'grow' as a pianist by delving deeper into one of my favorite composers.

That's one of the best comments I've ever received.  If my playing has actually inspired another pianist, then it made my work in preparing the piece all the more worthwhile.  So thank you so much for that compliment!

Looking forward to hearing your mazurka.

David

[goldentone]

I've enjoyed this piece a lot.  Those signature Scriabin harmonies, as at 1:48, take you away.  Fine artistry, David. 

[rachfan]

Hi goldentone,

Thanks for listening and commenting, and for the kudo on my playing too.

When it comes to harmonies, I think of Scriabin, Liszt and Debussy.  They were at the top in that department in my opinion.

David

[emill]

Hello David,

As I have probably told you before that not being a pianist has its drawbacks when listening to Scriabin. I always notice the many technical descriptions commented on his pieces. Maybe it is just me, but I find his compositions difficult to instantly like when many do or seem to. Sometimes I feel "isolated"..hehhe

May I commend you for the skillful playing and the EXCELLENT recording which is difficult to do!!

[scottmcc]

This piece is making me reconsider my opinions of Scriabin, in a good way. I just have never rally connected with most of is works, and not for lack of trying. But I really enjoyed this, for all the qualities that others have discussed above, but foremost the rich and interesting harmonies.  Thanks David for sharing this.  You mentioned that it's the highest praise to know that you inspire other pianists, count me among those inspired by you.

[rachfan]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for listening and commenting.  And mostly for your generous praise of my rendition here!  I greatly appreciate it.  I believe that there are many gems in the Scriabin literature, but for those of us who do not appreciate as much Scriabin's late mystic genre, it's just a matter of staying withing opus boundaries and not straying.  Another filter comes into play in examining scores within the boundaries to see if a certain piece or pieces will truly appeal to you.  I follow my own "rules", and so far I've brought out several really beautiful works, some of which are not all that well known.  Thanks again!

David 

[rachfan]

Hi emill,

Somehow Scriabin pieces are not always accessible to listeners. I hand select the pieces I want to play and record with not only that in mind, but also to comport with my own views of musical aesthetics. I think many people like the early Chopinesque Scriabin.  Some of us prefer the middle period pieces, as they tend to be more original and very beautiful too.  This short prelude I posted here is from his middle period. The place I personally draw the line is at Op. 50, a boundary I won't cross into his late period--Scriabin's mysticism.  Many times I've listened to some of those pieces, but have never warmed up to any of them. But, of course, that's just me, as I know many pianists who believe the late works are Scriabin's best.  In the same way that many things are "in the eye of the beholder", Scriabin's works tend to be in the ear of the listener and are judged accordingly.  So no need to feel isolated.

Thanks very much for your nice compliment on my playing and the quality of the recording.  I appreciate it!

David

[gvans]

Hi David, thanks for another diamond-bright recording. I particularly liked your subtle use of rubato, i.e., in the Chopinesque sense of of right hand steadiness and left hand emoting...very effective, not overdone. As everyone says, great piece, interesting harmonies, very evocative.
 
Glenn

[rachfan]

Hi Glenn,

I know you've been very busy practicing, so I'm delighted that you had a moment to listen to this Scriabin prelude.  I believe that I was able to create those rubatos owing to Scriabin's amazing polyphony between the hands.  They just seem to invite the rubatos. The other composer who was also a genius in this regard was Liadoff.  An evocative Scriabin piece like this one is hard to resist, I believe, either as performer or listener.  For such a short piece, it's such a lyrical, affecting and powerful lament.

Thanks for listening and commenting!

David

[ariel12345]

Hi David,
Great performance, intimate and touching. Old school sound that is very much missed in today's recordings.
Ariel

[rachfan]

Hi ariel,

Thanks so much for your kind comments.  Scriabin made this lament so emotionally moving, it nearly plays itself!  

I started piano lessons in 1953. Seems like yesterday, but it was a long time ago.  My first teacher's teachers studied with Howard Brockway, Alfred Cortot, Tobias Matthay, and Ernst von Dohnanyi.  So some of the influence of the American, French, British and Hungarian schools came down to me.  When I studied with my second teacher, his teacher's teacher was Isabelle Vengerova, so I was lucky to be influenced a bit by the Russian school as well.  When I was a kid, my favorite touring artist was Artur Rubinstein who was from the Golden Age of the piano.  So I too think of my playing as Old School.

Thanks for listening, and I'm glad you enjoyed the Scriabin prelude!

David          

[gvans]

Oops. Had the right and left handed rubato-ness mixed up. I meant left-hand steadiness and right-hand rubato in the Chopinesque sense. Sorry. Need more sleep. Still, a beautiful recording.
Glenn

[rachfan]

Hi Glenn,

Yes, I knew you had reversed the hands by mistake, but still got your point and compliment, so no problem.  I've made worse mistakes in messages.   I'm glad that so many people here have enjoyed this prelude.

David

[ted]

I downloaded the score and listened to your playing several times. Out of curiosity, I then listened to a few youtube versions of the same piece and wondered why yours had more life. Simple. It's rhythmical. Your slight, but clear and judicious non-coincidence of left and right hands makes most of the youtube ones sound square-toed in comparison. In this sort of spontaneous, romantic music surely notation is in a real sense just a guide, and cannot be regarded as an inviolable metronome. Well done.

[rachfan]

Hi Ted,

Thanks for listening (several times! ) and your thoughtful comments.  I think that playing an ultra-romantic piece such as this one is like walking on a high wire with no net.  As you mentioned, the score is only a guide.  It's just a paper map, not the territory.  Thus, the pianist is not so much an interpreter, but instead a co-performer of the music with the composer.  Playing the long line is most important--not the notes, measures or short phrases, rather the long line--the entity.  Nonetheless, the pianist has to keep the structure in mind in order to maintain boundaries, including the rhythm as you mention, such that the playing would be approved by the composer and will sound persuasive to the listener.  Unavoidably this means that the pianist will impart a trace of his personality to the music, which is as it should be.  If that were not the case, then all pianists would sound alike.

Thanks again, and I'm you enjoyed this piece.

David

[johnmar78]

Hey Dave, I heard some crack noise in the beginning... , Just joking.

This work contains lot of distored chords and melodies. I liked the sudden pause in mid section. I suppose this is Scriabian's trade mark.
Nicely done. Thanks for sharing....

[rachfan]

Hi johnmar,

The break is actually a couple of dotted quarter rests in the treble staff, while sustained tones continue in the bass.  These follow an accelerando ending at ff.  The next utterance is at p.  So those rests provide a thoughtful transition.

Thanks for listening!

David