Scriabin, from Trois Morceaux, "Feuillet d'album", Op. 45, No. 1

[rachfan]

I’ve posted another miniature from Alexander Scriabin’s middle period from Trois Morceaux, Op. 45, No. 1, titled “Feuillet d’album” first published in 1905. The tempo marking is andante piacevole.  Perhaps what Scriabin had in mind was a memory of a youthful flirtation.  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

[furiouzpianist]

Hi,

I enjoyed this performance very much. I love this piece, and you play it with lots of tonal variety and subtle timing. Please post more!

Best,

TM

[rachfan]

Hi TM,

Thank you for your compliments on my playing.  I really appreciate it!  I'm so glad you liked it.

Recently I've posted four Scriabin preludes plus this little "album leaf".  I might be able to do more Scriabin, although there is so much music I'd like to get to.  Reminds me of the old saying, "Too much music and too little time".

Thanks for listening.

David

[drexo]

Hi David,

Scriabin is my favourite composer and I've really enjoyed your performance! Wonderful interpretation.  

[rachfan]

Hi drexo,

Scriabin is one of my favorites as well.  I'm so glad you liked my interpretation.  This piece is so achingly beautiful, I couldn't resist playing it.  Thanks for listening.

David

[goldentone]

Congratulations, David.  This is one of your best recordings yet.  Your freedom and control are a sweet dialectic.  There is one other person on this forum who I have heard play like this.

[rachfan]

Hi goldentone,

Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful comments on my playing.  I appreciate it.

David 

[49410enrique]

so many things to like here. Scriabin never ceases to amaze me with how much music he can cram into such a short amount of time. 27 measures of just incredibly lovely music!

i really loved how you brought out and shaped the chromatic line in the LH in mm 9-12, Scriabin seems to be quite fond of that half step moving bass, we see it so many times, but always in fresh contexts, i'm glad you noticed and gave it the extra attention!

your pacing, it is so great, i think you nailed the tempo indication spot on, andante piavecole, too many times folks see andante and get sentimental and go way too slow, i don't think Scriabin meant for it to be much slower (if at all) than this, the addition of the piacevole (which i admit i had to look up:pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, agreeable, enjoyable, nice, likeable, lovely, delightful, good, sweet) you totally gave it that touch. the piece is sweet without being too] overt in its tenderness.


again thanks so much for sharing this beautiful short, it's so good the only 'fault' i can find is that it ended so quicky, time really flies when you're enjoying yourself...

bravo!

[rachfan]

Hi enrique,

I'm glad you enjoyed this short piece so much.  Yes, Scriabin was a genius to be sure whether in his extended works or the miniatures. 

Anything scalar, including chromatic steps, takes on significance for listeners, so it's always a good idea to give some emphasis to those figures.

Believe it or not, Scriabin's metronome marking for this piece is a quarter = 108!  I was astounded by that, and felt that such a tempo would do a disservice to the music, if not destroy it altogether.  So I took the liberty of  pulling the tempo back to the quarter = 80 vicinity.  That is still in the upper range of andante, but I believe it makes far more sense for this ravishing late romantic music.  Some of the piano greats of the past played this piece in a way that made it seem quite pallid.  For my interpretation, I wanted just a less anemic sound.  So it's slightly more aggressive than what one might usually encounter, but I also offset that choice with more attention to phrasing, dynamics and nuances in order to comply with the paciavole marking.

I agree, this two-pager album leaf is so incredibly beautiful that one wants it to continue on and on.  It's now one of my favorites.

Thank you for your nice compliments on my playing.  I appreciate it.

David

[emill]

HI DAVID!

This is really NICE .... gently flowing in mood .... and MY!!! it is recorded excellently .... the piano sounds so natural. THANKS....

emill

[rachfan]

Hi emill,

I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece, and thanks too for those compliments!

David

[ted]

Perhaps what Scriabin had in mind was a memory of a youthful flirtation.  I hope you’ll enjoy hearing it.

Or perhaps a retrospective fantasy about a flirtation he wished had taken place ! Maybe one of those serendipitously intense glimpses which burn themselves into the memory. Even an encounter with his "anima", as Jung called it, usually in a dream. The latter are quite unforgettable for temperaments of romantic inclination. My "Ellen Lauderdale" resulted from one such experience.

But I digress badly. The piece is intensely sweet, in the best sense of the word, but far too short, unless he made it so deliberately to entice multiple listenings. I know I have said it before but Frank Bridge certainly emulated Scriabin; in this piece almost to the point of direct copying of chords and phrasing. Hey David, you'd be a mighty interpreter of Bridge and Ireland - made for your hand and mind I would say.

Another digression. How verbose I am tonight. This one is a permanent download for me, enough said.

[rachfan]

Hi Ted,

Yes, I had thought of that possibility too--an imagined yet vivid flirtation.  To me the music has a hint of improvisation as well.    

Ha-ha!  Several people have told me the piece is too short.  They want it to continue on!  I agree with that.  As it turns out this is but one fleeting glimpse of a vignette.  I do believe that for pianists appearing in recitals, this piece would make a wonderful first encore.

Thanks for those suggestions on Ireland and Bridge.

Also, thanks for listening, and enjoy the download!

David

[johnmar78]

thanks David. Something I learned from you is tonal colour and shading....thanks for sharing. This is very uncoventional....

[rachfan]

Hi johnmar,

You're welcome! I'm glad I could be helpful in that regard.

When you say unconventional, I always say this: Interpreting music means exploring the promise of the potential of possibilities.

David 

[fbt]

Hi David,

       Very sensitive playing.I like the give and take feeling of your interpretation,very flowing with just the right amount of ritard and rubato. This is the romantic Scriabin not the harsh tri-tone demonic Scriabin. I think a choreographer could use the music to great effect.
        You have inspired me to work on some Scriabin.
                                                                                    Thank you,
                                                                                        fbt

[rachfan]

Hi fbt,

Thanks so much for your praise of my interpretation.  It's a different one than usually heard, but it has drawn a very positive response at the various piano sites.  And if I've inspired you to play Scriabin, that's a plus and I'm flattered indeed.  Thanks for listening!

David

[ariel12345]

Hi David
I enjoy your Scriabin performances very much! It reminds me of an old Jazz club, now the amazing singer should join! (this is my wild imagination of course)
Thank you!

[rachfan]

Hi ariel,

Yes, there might be a pre-jazz sound here.  And yet it has a late romantic sound too.  Scriabin was never at a loss for surprises.  I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Thanks for listening!

David