Scriabin, Alexander (1872-1915)

[teamsaint]

Well, I don't think it's necessary to have much if any knowledge of a composer to start a thread about them. Something like 'what are your favourite recordings of so and so' seems to me like a rational pretext for starting a thread!

It’s the “ rational pretext” bit that has got me worried…..

[Bryn]

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?24506-Prokofiev-S&p=899516#post899516

[Ian Thumwood]

I wasn't meaning to say that Prokofiev shouldn't be mentioned in a thread about Scriabin - actually it's quite interesting to see how divergent they were. Scriabin was 20 years older but his approach was much more "modern" and exploratory, especially in terms of harmony; even though Prokofiev gave the Russian premiere of Schoenberg's op.11, his sense of harmony was focused on the diatonic (plus "wrong notes" when desired).

I am increasingly finding the concept of a composer being more modern a bit tedious and not really relevant but I would really concur with the statement about Scriabin's music being more exploratory. I have been listening to Scarlatti and Scriabin more than anything else this year and, whilst I was familiar with elements of Scriabin's music such as the Opus 8 Etudes and the Opus 11 Preludes from tying to learn the easier peices and also listening to the complete Preludes on CD, I am coming around to the idea that Scriabin was pretty unique amongst all the various innovations that happened around the turn of the century. The music is pretty amazing by anyone's standards . From a piano persepctive, I feel that this best work is to be found in the Sonatas and Preludes which both culiminate in music that hints at Messaien. The earlier material is like industrial-strnegth Chopin and still operate at a high standard, The Opus 8 Etudes are terrific. The only disappointment for me have been the Mazurkas but they need to be taken in to context as being written when he was 16-18 years old. Take this into consideration and they are impressive.

It is a shame that he died young in 1915 as he offered another alternative to where Classical composition was headed at that time. I am not familiar with the 12 tone composers but, in contrast with early Debussy pieces like the Arabesques, there is no doubting in my mind that Scriabin was heading in a direction that was more radical that Debussy. The Romantic element is still witin Sciabin's later work yet I find it increasingly abstract and shocking in it's treatment of harmony and even rhythm. I fully understand why jazz musicians like Chick Corea were so enamoured by Scriabin and think works such as the later Etudes, Preludes and Sonatas might be something the jazz avant garde can still borrow from. This is especially the case in that the influence of Impressionists in jazz now seems increasingly mainstream. Even some of the "minor" album leaf compositions have a lot of merit, especially pieces like "Vers la Flamme" which radically explores one chord with a Coltane-like intensity. For my money he is Russia's greatest composer and also increasingly an important figure in early 20th century music. I have always felt that Chopin was the "break through" composer of the 19th century as he managed to unlock harmony and rhythm which had previously frustrated Beethoven. Going though the 1800s, everything that is good about composition in that century comes from Chopin in my opinion and Scriabin is the absolute zenith. I find Scriabin much more interesting than jazz, to be honest.

[Joseph K]

I find Scriabin much more interesting than jazz, to be honest.

!!!!!



I'm sure S_A will have something to say about that...

[Serial_Apologist]

!!!!!



I'm sure S_A will have something to say about that...

I don't think so!!!!!

[RichardB]

I am increasingly finding the concept of a composer being more modern a bit tedious and not really relevant

"More modern" is just saying in fewer words almost exactly what you say about "hinting at Messiaen" and "more radical than Debussy" and "something the jazz avant garde can still borrow from".

[Mandryka]

Re the discussion here about Rudy's CD, I've not been able to get into it. But I've stumbled across another which also seems somehow "modern" in some vague way -- and I like it very much, by a piano player called James Kreiling. I'd be interested in what people think.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/19tPorQWGGYoZyfhHD24bo

[Mandryka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUYwDXk0vvA&ab_channel=ADGO

Elena Richter's recording of the sonatas. That's quite a rarity, and as far as I can tell so far, it's interesting, resonances of the piano well used and caught on the recording.