Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas

Alexander Scriabin (Composer), Vladimir Ashkenazy (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy
• Composer: Alexander Scriabin
• Audio CD (August 26, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041LG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,409 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #82 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Scriabin, Alexander

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, but solid overall, April 10, 2006

By 

SRS (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

I have the following complete sets: Laredo, Taub, Ashkenazy, Hamelin, Mikhailov, Szidon, Ponti, and Ogdon. I have two discs of Glemser and Horowitz, and one disc of: Sofronitsky, Pletnev, Kocyan, Bogdonov, Florentino, Coombs, Trpceski, and Richter.

Here is my list of suggested performances of the sonatas, taken from those I've heard. They are ranked from left to right:

G#m posthumous: Hamelin. Solid and very clean, but a bit dry.

Ebm posthumous: Glemser. The performance is solid, but doesn't seem ideal.

No. 1: Kocyan, then Ashkenazy, then Taub. Kocyan tells a story. Ashkenazy is passionate. Taub is darker.

No. 2: Kocyan, then Glemser or Sofronitsky, then Ashkenazy. Kocyan's fluidity takes it, but Sofronitsky is artistic. Glemser's first movement is beautiful.

No. 3: Laredo or Horowitz. Then Glemser or Taub. Then Ashkenazy or Sofronitsky.

No. 4: Taub or Sofronitsky. The latter has more artistry, the former a more coherent and appropriate tone.

No. 5: Horowitz or Taub. The former has electric genius, the latter has wonderful refinement. Hamelin's is excellent (his best Scriabin performance). I've heard that Richter's is great, but I don't have it.

No. 6: Richter (genius but bad sound quality), then Taub. Hamelin's is athletic and precise, although not mysterious.

No. 7: Glemser, then Laredo. The former brings out all the complexity with precision, the latter is sharp and clear. I have not heard Richter's.

No. 8: Ashkenazy. Then Szidon or Laredo. I've read that Sofronitsky's is good, but I don't have it.

No. 9: Sofronitsky, then Horowitz (all versions), then Glemser, then Szidon and Taub.

No. 10: Horowitz or Taub. Same contrast of styles between the pianists as the fifth sonata. Like the fifth, this is Taub's other brilliant performance.

Other pieces:

Fantasy in B minor: Glemser
Vers la flamme: Sofronitsky or Horowitz, then Laredo.
Piano concerto: Ugorski/Boulez, then Ashkenazy/Maazel. Both are excellent, but I give the edge to Ugorski.
Poem of Ecstasy: Maazel
Prometheus: Ashkenazy/Maazel

This set is solid in general and has the best performance of the eighth sonata (and nearly the best performance of the first) though the 7th and 10th sonatas are particularly problematic. I think the edge goes to Taub for a complete set, although one would do well to supplement it with other recordings. Avoid Ogdon and Ponti. Mikhailov plays well, but none of his sonatas rise toward the top.

I have to totally disagree with the reviewer who said Ashkenazy's performance of the 2nd Prokofiev concerto is bad. To me, the first movement is one of the very best performances I've heard.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nice one to trace Scriabin's development, April 13, 2002

By 

caspi (Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

A very interesting CD containing all the 10 piano sonatas written by Scriabin, starting from the agitated No 1, influenced by Liszt and Chopin, but already unmistakably bearing signs of Scriabin's early style and finishing by No 10 which is a vivid example of Scriabin's mature late style.
As for me I'm more interested in his earlier works, and I'm quite satisfied with the Sonatas No 1 - 3 (the first is the leader), but of course for full understanding of the whole creative activity of this outstanding Russian composer you should get acquainted with all the set proposed here.
Besides the Sonatas there are some minor works (mostly from the late period), including the enigmatic "Deux Dances" op. 73 - one of the very last works of Scriabin.
Once you say that the set is performed by Vladimir Ashkenazy you need not add anything more. It's great as usual. :-)
My personal advice for those who loved the set presented here - listen to Scriabin's Fantaisie op.28 (written between the 3-d and the 4-th sonatas). It's a one part work very close to Sonata No.1 and it will give you a full picture of Scriabin's sonatas. I listened it performed by Lazar Berman and I'm sure you won't be dissapointed by him.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent set of Scriabin Sonatas by Ashkenazy!, January 10, 2004

By 

David (AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas (Audio CD)

This is an excellent and inexpensive set of the sonatas of Scriabin, it could be a good introduction to the sonatas. Ashkenazy's playing at times can get a little "harsh", same could be set with other recordings of his. But that is really my only major complaint about this CD. Other than that, the playing is excellent. The sonatas no. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 are especially wonderful. This set is by no means "definitive", but worth having.

Other than this set no Scriabin fan should miss Horowitz's recordings of the sonatas 3, 5, 9, 10, various etudes, preludes, and Vers la flamme. Ruth Laredo's set of Scriabin is also excellent. If you find a recording of the out of print Szidon CD of the Scriabin sonatas, GET IT!!
Overall an excellent set that is highly recommended.