Let's talk music, no genre boundaries

@mahgister @stuartk 

I understand how youthful passions stay with us. And Sofronitsky definitely captures the passions of Scriabin. I'm not always into that kind of passion, though. For me, sometimes music is just about beauty. And that's a huge word, I know. It's definition could almost be that we all know it when we see it.

I'm posting Mozart's 21st Piano Concerto, which I think is like a perfectly cut diamond. You'll notice the album cover is from a movie from the sixties. It was about two beautiful people who tried to leave society, and, of course, like Romeo and Juliet found this to be impossible. I have worn out this album several times and have had to repurchase a mint copy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPKW37ZZeFw

I discovered "musical time" listening Bruckner symphonies non stop for 6 months...

 

Then i discovered Scriabin...

Scriabin music and theories exhibit a synesthetic perspective.This is why it is easier "to see" the late music of Scriabin than to whistle it. Musical time in it unfold in and from a non linear  spiral of tones not from beats and rythms external to the spiral, they are internally born from it when the pianist plays and render them in linear time . Very few pianist are really able to understand and render it...

To understand what i speak about listen this 2 minutes video : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_qCFuWlAMo

or this longer 5 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBrHPLzrAc4

 

 

 

In Russia a pianist is great if he can play Scriabin , as in Poland he is great playing Chopin or not well , as in Hungary playing Liszt...

Here interpretation is everything and there is no so much matter let to our taste...

 

listen to this "bad recording piano" of a genius : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93dWui2fi2g&list=PL5DE3A83BD9995664

One of the only rival to Sofronistsky, the immense and unknown in the West Neuhaus father here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEK1PctlQgk&list=RDPEK1PctlQgk&start_radio=1

 

now the tremendous Igor Zukhov :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhhVsQIRrCc&list=RDDhhVsQIRrCc&start_radio=1

 

Now the son of Neuhaus Heinrich, Stanislas Neuhaus one of the pillar of the Russian school of piano : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fUG9pyqcKQ&list=RD2fUG9pyqcKQ&start_radio=1

 We all know Michelangeli or Pollini but who know Viktor Merzhanov : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHioPPaK2E&list=RDmjHioPPaK2E&start_radio=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxhGoTo0tV0

    

 

Now you must read an article about the "saint" pianist  Maria Yudina and his fearless relation with Stalin...

She was considered one of the greatest pianist in Russia too poor to have a piano most of the times :

https://angelusnews.com/voices/the-legend-of-stalins-holy-fool/

lIsten his Scriabin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KIO9U8icBE

 

We know merely the Russian pianists who went to the West, as Richter, Horowitz,Gilels,Rachmaninoff, etc not those who stay there... 

 

How many know Jakob Flier ? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms_qO8czTa4&list=RDMs_qO8czTa4&start_radio=1

 

 

 

@audio-b-dog 

I think I remember seeing the film. The lovers commit suicide at the end, right ?

Sometimes I want to hear music that reconnects me to youthful passions. Sometimes not.  

@mahgister 

That 5 minute video was very interesting. Looks like a channel I’d enjoy exploring further, although I suspect much of it is above my head. 

I’m curious: what would your top recommendations be for recordings of Scriabin solo piano on CD that are readily available? 

 

@mahgister 

That 5 minute video was very interesting. Looks like a channel I’d enjoy exploring further, although I suspect much of it is above my head. 

I’m curious: what would your top recommendations be for recordings of Scriabin solo piano on CD that are readily available? 

The best is to explore the interpretation and sound recording on youtube before ordering ...

 

 

Igor Zukhov is not available...I cannot recommend to you Sofronitsky bad recordings  but listen to him on youtube to understand why he is a god pianist...

 But this version is sonically good and the interpret is  able to play it but not at the highest level though...

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Piano-Music-Dmitri-Alexeev/dp/B09HHK42FS#averageCustomerReviewsAncho

 

 

Personally i like, out of the Russian school,  Michael Ponti a super Italian virtuoso able to gave justice to Scriabin...I own it... But the recording is atrocious but the price low...I want to kill the recording engineer myself... but Ponti play at a level unknown  out of the Russian school...And his takes is enlightening...

There are 2 sets :

Begin with the complete work set :

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Piano-Works-Scriabin-MICHAEL/dp/B00007J4SI?crid=14GST0TJD51GK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GpWayqSvFUJm4uo-3pRTNgH3vRCXKFynjRcSjzOOjWqro8VRW_l0ByysJTFf2zmb-RTGJnDQ7wtTGOukXJ8ss_H1qUbsl3T7gL-nVZEDPP36TsS2bQUhK8q0YuGVOQAI9EEi-WcbP0sP6h3t0OQC6w.opyLCmY2ank-pz2VDudeRkNhITl9XLDstiF5CtTksY4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Scriabin+michael+Ponti&qid=1753987966&s=music&sprefix=scriabin+michael+ponti+%2Cmusic-intl-ship%2C135&sr=1-2

 Add the sonatas set : 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Scriabin-Complete-Sonatas-MICHAEL-PONTI/dp/B00007J4SK?crid=14GST0TJD51GK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GpWayqSvFUJm4uo-3pRTNgH3vRCXKFynjRcSjzOOjWqro8VRW_l0ByysJTFf2zmb-RTGJnDQ7wtTGOukXJ8ss_H1qUbsl3T7gL-nVZEDPP36TsS2bQUhK8q0YuGVOQAI9EEi-WcbP0sP6h3t0OQC6w.opyLCmY2ank-pz2VDudeRkNhITl9XLDstiF5CtTksY4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Scriabin+michael+Ponti&qid=1753988170&s=music&sprefix=scriabin+michael+ponti+%2Cmusic-intl-ship%2C135&sr=1-1

 

To change the topic entirely, I am not a huge Dylan fan. With all the great poets in the world, I didn't think he deserved the Nobel Prize in Literature. I do have a lot of his albums and play them from time to time. I am probably a bigger Judy Collins fan. I have worn out a few of her albums and had to look for mint copies on the used market. So, I'm posting Judy Collins singing "Just Like Tom Thumb Bllues," one of my favorite cuts. You'll see th album cover on my post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcCcA6O6QLU