Medtner – Sonata Romantica: Scherzo

[skyrabinov]

My performance of the Scherzo from Medtner’s Sonata Romantica [bird’s eye view + sheet music] If 2020 was a piece of music, this would be it – the overarching mood is turbulent; unstable. Fans of prog metal may dig the crazy “shred” sections (0:51, 2:34, 3:25).

If playing piano was a video game, would this be the final boss? If so, what would the post-game special world content be? Ferneyhough? Ligeti? Godowsky? Alkan?

Hope you enjoy

[ronde_des_sylphes]

This is really nicely done, both the playing and the way the video is put together. Congratulations.

[skyrabinov]

Thanks ronde, glad you liked how the video turned out. That was my justification for playing this piece. I figured that MAH had already made an awesome recording, so all I could do was try and match it, plus you'd get to see the hands from a bird's eye view and the sheet music scrolling by simultaneously. Trying to match Hamelin's tempo is no joke, I still don't know how he does it...

[kalospiano]

I have very contrasting feelings for Medtner, sometimes I listen to his works in complete awe and yet after a while it seems to me like they go on for too long and I kind lose interest, then a new beautiful bit comes up, and the cycle repeats...
Anyway, I was not yet familiar with this Scherzo. I gotta say, in some parts it actually does remind me of a videogame boss theme Hamelin plays this at an even greater speed? I'm not even sure if there's a point in going faster than you do... your performance seems quite amazing to me already.

[stringoverstrung]

Very cool

Nice repertoire choice, well played, very enjoyable.

Thank You!

[dw4rn]

Fantastic!

[ahinton]

I think this and its companion sonata to be the most difficult of all of Medtner's piano works to play, notwithstanding the sheer scale and scope of the Night Wind sonata - and among the finest of them as well.

That said, few composers seem consistently incapable of writing much below their best; Medtner strikes me as one of them...

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Stunning playing.

Your hands look very young. If you are about 15, this is immeasurably better than I first thought.

Thal

[skyrabinov]

I have very contrasting feelings for Medtner, sometimes I listen to his works in complete awe and yet after a while it seems to me like they go on for too long and I kind lose interest, then a new beautiful bit comes up, and the cycle repeats...
Anyway, I was not yet familiar with this Scherzo. I gotta say, in some parts it actually does remind me of a videogame boss theme Hamelin plays this at an even greater speed? I'm not even sure if there's a point in going faster than you do... your performance seems quite amazing to me already.

Yeah I know what you mean, when listening to the long form Medtner works there can be a lot to digest on the first listen and unless you’re really in the mood for it, you can lose interest. He has some nice shorter pieces too, like most of the forgotten melodies op. 38 for example.

The part about nine seconds in does sound like a video game boss theme

Hamelin plays this around the same speed as my recording, ~180-190 bpm. When I started learning this piece, that speed seemed impossible, but once the notes became automated I was able to get to that tempo. Thanks for the kind words!

[skyrabinov]

Very cool

Nice repertoire choice, well played, very enjoyable.

Thank You!

So great to hear that! I’ve wanted to play this for a long time, and it took a lot more time and effort than I was anticipating, so it’s nice that you and some others appreciate it

[skyrabinov]

Fantastic!

Thank you!

[skyrabinov]

I think this and its companion sonata to be the most difficult of all of Medtner's piano works to play, notwithstanding the sheer scale and scope of the Night Wind sonata - and among the finest of them as well.

That said, few composers seem consistently incapable of writing much below their best; Medtner strikes me as one of them...

Best,

Alistair

Thanks for listening Alistair. It’s what I would consider to be an enjoyable type of difficulty. Everything fits under the hand extremely well with Medtner, so the difficulty lies not with awkward leaps or stretches, rather making each voice as clear as possible. It’s not unlike working on a Bach fugue.

[skyrabinov]

Stunning playing.

Your hands look very young. If you are about 15, this is immeasurably better than I first thought.

Thal

Thanks Thal – you might be disappointed to learn that I’m 28 years old!

[quantum]

Absolutely fantastic playing!  You handle Medtner's sense of counterpoint with aplomb and fluid musicality.  Medtner can be incredibly difficult to play, yet his music is so consistently rewarding to study. 

[skyrabinov]

Absolutely fantastic playing!  You handle Medtner's sense of counterpoint with aplomb and fluid musicality.  Medtner can be incredibly difficult to play, yet his music is so consistently rewarding to study.

Quantum, that means a lot - thank you! I really enjoy Medtner’s sense of counterpoint and motivic economy. It is indeed rewarding to discover intricacies that can’t be gleaned from a recording: inner melodic lines nested within elaborate figuration for example.