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Topic: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?  (Read 571 times)

Offline bach-busoni chaconne

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Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
on: November 15, 2025, 01:50:26 PM
What do you think is the best recording of each Scriabin sonata? (Don't have to comment on all, just the ones you know / listen to)
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2026 Goal:
Bach-Busoni: Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004
Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
Stravinsky: Trois Mouvements de "Pétrouchka" / Stravinsky-Agosti: Firebird

Offline bach-busoni chaconne

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #1 on: November 15, 2025, 02:45:31 PM
I don't regularly listen to all of them, but for the ones I listen to:

2-Pogorelich (doesn't do the marked dynamics at the start of 2nd mvt, but very unique)
3-Horowitz
4-Pletnev/Pogorelich (only on YouTube i think)
5-Richter
7-Richter
8-Hamelin/Ashkenazy
9-Horowitz
10-Pletnev
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2026 Goal:
Bach-Busoni: Chaconne in D Minor, BWV 1004
Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55
Scriabin: Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
Stravinsky: Trois Mouvements de "Pétrouchka" / Stravinsky-Agosti: Firebird

Offline essence

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #2 on: November 15, 2025, 03:02:49 PM
Sofronitsky for many, particularly no 8. Few come close with those falling fourths.

I also like Ashkenazy in this sonata - he keeps momentum going, almost a continuous acceleration from start to end. Thrilling.

Richter in 5 is something else.
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Offline liszt-and-the-galops

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #3 on: November 15, 2025, 08:01:52 PM
Honestly Richter's no. 5 is overrated. Peter Laul's is much better:


Richter for no. 7.


Ashkenazy for no. 8.


Sung Chang for no. 4.


Vincenzo Maltempo isn't my favorite for any of them, but he's consistently second or third.
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Offline thorn

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #4 on: November 16, 2025, 01:30:41 PM
I don't really care for 1 or 4, through Scriabin said Feinberg's interpretation of 4 was the best he'd ever heard. His recording was made after Scriabin's death, so not the version the composer would have heard, but still a solid reference.

For the others the recordings I keep going back to are (S.)Neuhaus in 2 and 3, Richter in 5-7 (also Ashkenazy's 6 and Volodos' 7), Sofronitsky and Ashkenazy in 8, Richter and Ashkenazy in 9, (H.)Neuhaus and Horowitz in 10.

As a complete set I think Ashkenazy's is the most balanced. Though I like the Maltempo above. Also Anna Malikova's. Evgeni Mikhailov's is supposed to be great but I've only been able to find 7 on YT (really good btw)- the physical CD appears to be discontinued.

Posting Richter's 6 here as it doesn't get as much attention as his 5 and 7. I think many people struggle to appreciate 6 (and the Poème-Nocturne which is basically 6 in a shorter form, Richter made a fine recording of that too).
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Offline gasplamey

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #5 on: November 16, 2025, 09:31:43 PM
Yunchan lims performance of the 2econd sonata is the best by rfar.
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Offline essence

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #6 on: November 17, 2025, 11:31:34 AM
Sonata #10 is the one I have yet to find a satisfactory recording. The opening pages are more like a Debussy prelude. I have issues with both Horowitz and Neuhaus.

Aristo Sham is surprisingly good.

Few seem to see that it starts p and then in the 5th bar it is pp.

Ashkenazy starts too slow. No insects there.

Volodos i quite like.

Pletnev has his moments, but play around with rhythm too much in the opening. The high interjections should be a light dance. See bars 3 and 7. Although i do like the way Ashkenazy follows the poco rit marking in bar 7 - but note it is poco rit, and he is already going too slow.

Overall #10 has a lot of tempo and dynamic markings, and few seem to follow them.
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Offline lelle

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #7 on: November 17, 2025, 12:18:15 PM
I disagree that Richter's Scriabin 5 is overrated. In fact, I think it's the very best one:



His no. 2 is also out of this world:

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Offline essence

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #8 on: November 17, 2025, 01:48:35 PM
When I said Richter's #5 is something else, I meant it is something else, not necessarily something I would want to hear often, but a force of nature.

I agree about his #2.

What about Elena Richter? just came across her complete sonatas. I do like her #10. Very languid. a secret  garden.

Listened to some of her other sonatas. I would rate her amongst the very best. Very different to Ashkenazy.

i=7bSl_lL5kYs9mhWB
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Offline thorn

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #9 on: November 17, 2025, 06:11:35 PM
I totally forgot about this set, it's been a few years since I listened to it but remember enjoying it.

Also I remembered this performance of 10 with a light show which is interesting (no idea how accurate the colours are but seems a lot of analysis went into it). The pianist did a doctorate around the 6th sonata and has recorded all of Scriabin's late piano works.


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Offline liszt-and-the-galops

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Re: Best recordings of each Scriabin sonata?
Reply #10 on: November 17, 2025, 08:08:58 PM
Quote from: lelle on November 17, 2025, 12:18:15 PM
I disagree that Richter's Scriabin 5 is overrated.
Perhaps "overrated" isn't quite the right word. It's definitely a fantastic recording, but not the very best out there (as I mentioned, Peter Laul's recording of it is much better IMO).
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