I
have a long-deleted Russian Season disc of Alexander Scriabin's
piano music played by Samuel Feinberg, Vladimir Sofronitsky,
Heinrich Neuhaus, Alexander Goldenweiser and Scriabin himself.
Given the commanding line-up of artists, it is one of my most
treasured recordings and has the complete taste of authenticity.
Of course, the sound can be problematic, but to listen to
these Russian titans of the keyboard is a privilege as well
as a compelling listening experience.
When
playing a disc such as The Russian Season one, I sometimes
wonder how the early 20th century pianists would sound with
up-to-date sonics. This is where the Welte-Mignon digital
recording system enters the picture, for it represents the
closest that we can get to hearing these historical performances
in modern sound. Introduced in 1904, the Welte-Mignon system
allows us to hear an exceptional level of detail without any
trace of sound distortion. To this reviewer, the results are
amazing in that a performance recorded in the early 1900s
can sound as if it is being played this very day just a few
feet away.
It
all sounds too good to be true, and the fact is that Welte-Mignon
is not perfect. Critics claim that this system does not accurately
reproduce performances; my particular reservation is that
it tends to smooth-out the musical edges and contours, and
a prime example comes from a comparison of the Scriabin performances
on the Russian Season and Pierian discs. Eight of the nine
pieces on the Pierian are also on the Russian Season, and
Scriabin's readings are more sharply etched on the latter.
So, there is a trade-off that needs to be considered by prospective
buyers.
Having
said the above, the greatest difference between historical
and piano roll recordings is one of orientation. With the
Russian Season disc, the listener is transported back to Scriabin's
era with all its sonic limitations; the Pierian disc transports
Scriabin to the current-day listener's sound world. Frankly,
I consider both orientations revelatory and essential for
Scriabin enthusiasts.
Of
course, the two discs give us much insight as to how Scriabin
played his own music and why deviating significantly from
his recorded examples diminishes his compositions. As wonderful
as it is to hear Richter or Sofronitsky play Scriabin, there
is a tremendous 'rush' when listening to the composer perform
his own music: the intensity of his melancholy, the under-currents
of tension that make the ensuing emotional outbursts logical
and compelling, the prevalent cross-rhythms, and the playfulness
of his interpretations.
Although
the performers on the Pierian disc are not uniformly of the
star-studded variety found on the Russian Season disc, I can
assure readers that each is a superb advocate for Scriabin's
music. The legendary Josef Lhevinne needs no introduction,
and his performance of the Nocturne for the Left Hand is a
stunning example of lush romanticism. The Nocturne is also
played by Magdeleine Brard who gained entry to the Paris Conservatory
in 1914 at the tender age of eleven; she became Alfred Cortot's
favorite student and toured the United States with the Orchestra
of the Paris Conservatory in 1919. Her reading of the Nocturne
largely eschews Lhevinne's romantic approach for a more powerful
presentation with very demonstrative accenting.
Born
in 1873, Constantine Igumnoff studied under Taneyev, Arensky
and Ippolitov-Ivanov at the Moscow Conservatory. Although
best known as a professor at the Conservatory for almost fifty
years, his playing of 1st Movement of the Sonate Fantasie
reveals a deep connection for Scriabin's volatile nature,
exquisite lyricism, and powerful cross-rhythms. This is definitely
a performance not to be missed.
Alexander
Goldenweiser's artistry is represented by his performance
of Scriabin's Mazurka, Op. 40/2 that is also played by the
composer. Goldenweiser was an important figure in promoting
the Russian school of piano playing, being a professor and
the eventual director of the Moscow Conservatory for many
years. A comparison of his Mazurka performance with that of
Scriabin's is quite illuminating. Scriabin is quick, impetuous
and very playful, while Goldenweiser adopts a slower and more
stately presentation. Although I have to give the nod to Scriabin,
the Goldenweiser account has a cosmopolitan and mature nature
that is alluring and glows with confidence.
Leff
Pouishnoff, born into an aristocratic Russian family, was
an exceptional Scriabinist. He graduated in 1910 from the
Petrograd Conservatory after studying with Rimsky-Korsakov,
Glazunov and Liadov. His first concert tour was as a partner
for Leopold Auer, and highly successful tours in London and
the United States followed in the 1920s. Of his four piano
rolls on the disc, the Poème and Désir compare quite well
with Scriabin's own performances. Actually, they are similar
except that Scriabin is a little more playful and mysterious.
Most important, both pianists splendidly bring out the harmonic
adventure of the pieces.
Aside
from the Scriabin piano rolls, it is the playing of Austin
Conradi that I most treasure on the disc. An American, he
was raised and lived most of his life in Baltimore, teaching
at the Peabody Institute. This is my first acquaintance with
Conradi's playing, and I am amazed with his affinity for Scriabin's
sound world. The performances are steeped in rapture and sensuality,
and the grief he conveys in the Prelude, Op. 11/4 and the
Op. 2 Etude is overwhelming. As for determination, his granite
strength in the Prelude, Op. 11/6 bespeaks a mighty edifice
as well as primitive abandon.
In
conclusion, the non-profit Pierian label has given us an enlightening
and, dare I say, magical recording that every Scriabin enthusiast
needs to have. Although it can be used as a reference and
historical document, the best thing to do with this disc is
simply listen to the wonderful music in utterly compelling
performances. Personally, I consider myself most fortunate
to own both the Pierian and Russian Season discs, feeling
that I have knocked on the doors of Heaven and been afforded
entry. Needless to say, the Pierian will be one of my MusicWeb
Recordings of 2005.
Don
Satz
Alexander Scriabin, rec. Moscow, 1910
