Vladimir Sofronitsky plays Scriabin Sonata No. 9

[punkpoetry]

Nabokov in Lectures on Russian Literature remarks that Chekhov didn't pay too much heed to verbal elegance and adornment (I don't remember the precise wording); yet was an infinitely greater writer than many celebrated prose stylists. Sofronitsky's singularity lies elsewhere than what is commonly held to be pianistic excellence. I have never heard a phrase or an intonation in his performance that was less than irrepeatable, which is more than I can say of Hamelin

[MrRhiannonsdad]

Put simply, Hamelin adheres to the score while Sofronitsky adheres to the music. Sofronitsky was a God of Scriabin's music and no-one captures every facet of Scriabin's mindscape like him.

[morinoroba]

Great, so inspiring.

[darkblueangel1956]

Quando la magia, la poesia e il lirismo suadente si incontrano, emerge la Sonata n. 9 di Skryabyn interpretata da Vladimir Sofronitsky. E in quell'istante le creature degli inferi, le creature celesti, gli uccelli, le farfalle e gli esseri umani........ si fermano ad ascoltare !!!! Un monumento eterno, per il leggendario pianista russo, una guida della storia dell'interpretazione pianistica, per tutti i tempi futuri !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grazie caro amico "truecrypt" !

[ibclappin]

renowned performance for true reasons. one thing though: please be careful not to blow your speakers and/or eardrums

[88alan8800]

the CD recording of horowitz's 1965 concert features this work, the sound quality is amazing. if you have not yet, you should hear it. its probably not as good quality if it is on youtube though. CD version is awesome awesome awesome

[andgodwouldsay]

late Scriabin is amazing, I was so disappointed in his piano concerto which seemed so .. Chopinesque

[titusbeertsen]

@andgodwouldsay The piano concerto is Opus 20., thus early Scriabin. All early Scriabin sounds Chopinesque. I agree late Scriabin is mindblowing though.

[LeonFleisherFan]

A beautiful version, thanks so much! In the meantime figured out this is the live performance from Moscow from June 8th, 1958, for those who care about this piece of information. The 1959 one is indeed awesome, too.

[LeonFleisherFan]

Actually, that studio recording dated 1959 by some labels (probably date of publication, common mistake) is identical to the one included in the GPOC series, there dated (probably correctly) September 1958. That seems to bring us to a total of three recorded versions by Sofronitsky (the third being the one from the February 2, 1960, recital in Moscow). Sorry if my above information was misleading!

[larchmontmark]

Thanks for all the info  -- much appreciated!

I enjoy straightening out details like that too......

[Kobzar3374]

This is a fascinating piece, one of my favorites by Scriabin. It is a pity that the recording is not very good. But Sofronitsky's performance is great.

[perdipe]

Wonderful and magic world...

My heart seems to explode

[sparebone]

There is a certain rippling effect which would be perfectly exemplified if the recording had been finely tuned. Scriabin produces fine abstract pieces.

[esdac]

i wish this was in better sound quality

[TomOwen77]

The sound quality here is very - v ery - wer ry resonant (breaking up) and distorted with many overtones in places. No denying Sofronitsky is one of the great interpreters but there are too many rave reviews which don't match up to what you can actually hear. Put this performance up against Hamelin (or even Glemser on Naxos) and you will hear far more actual variety of tone (and touch in Hamelin's case).

[truecrypt]

Seems like you are confusing the quality of performance with quality of recording. There are many good recordings (Hamelin and Ashkenazy are definitely among those) but it's very hard to dispute Sofronitsky's supremacy in Scriabin. I think Hamelin would rather agree with me! ;)

[pianiplunker]

@truecrypt I'm replying to a 3 year old comment but oh well. Hamelin has made it clear in an interview that he was not a fan of Sofronitsky's Scriabin's interpretations. Basically he said Sofronitsky's playing lacks clarity and he pays little attention to Scriabins tempo and dynamic markings.

[truecrypt]

@pianiplunker

Though I enormously respect Hamelin, his opinion is only his opinion...He may change it later... Sofronitsky shouldn't be measured by simply "clarity" issue. Judging from Hamelin's point of view Chopin himself can be "criticized" for lack of attention to - his own- dynamics and tempi... ;) Geniuses can not and should not be measured by the lowest common denominator.

[pianiplunker]

@truecrypt Hamelin's criticism of Sonfronitsky appears in the book: The Composer-Pianists: Hamelin and The Eight by Robert Rimm. I'm paraphrasing as I don't have the book on hand. Basically he felt Sofronitsky was a sloppy pianist who played on a whim. I admit I'm not familiar with Hamelin's Scriabin interpretations but I imagine them being as different as possible. Personally I'm very receptive to Sofronitsky's Scriabin's interpretations, his adherence to details in the scores notwithstanding.

[truecrypt]

@pianiplunker well... obviously Hamelin doesn't appreciate Sofronitsky... I was wrong assuming the opposite! ;) But I still prefer Sofronitsky with all his imperfections and "lack of clarity" to Hamelin's super human and brilliant execution.

[pianiplunker]

@truecrypt . Well said, I probably wouldn't enjoy Sofronitsky performing Alkan while Hamelin is supreme in that type of music. Fortunately pianists come in an infinite variety.

[gullivior]

@pianiplunker Hamelin is a great virtuoso, no doubt, but he is only a pianist .. Sofronitzky is a genius, a poet, a visionary .. from an artistic point of view, the distance between them is incommensurable ..

[georgecziffra]

I think the low quality of the recording makes this performance even more eery and disturbing.

[larchmontmark]

That sounds odd, but I actually agree. Eerie, disturbing, SPOOKY.

By the way......seems like it's not just "low quality," it's that they ran the master TOO SLOW, because the pitch is low -- almost a quarter-tone.

(Assuming that the piano wasn't badly out of tune on the flat side.)

In fact I wonder maybe most of what seems like bad recording quality is just that they ran the master too slow for this pressing.

I

[bnjmnklb]

7:05-7:16 is totally out of this world... not even Horowitz brings out that melody. So gorgeous and mysterious.

[billyguns2]

This is an unearthly, disturbing performance that transcends earthly coils; one could easily believe that Mr. Sofronitsky is a creature from another world! As good as Horowitz is in this piece, Sofronitsky is on another plane.

[suzettegm]

Wonderful, simply the best!

[clipwip]

I've never heard anyone play this better. This goes for pretty much all of his Scriabin. If you get a video of a performance of Sofronitsky's, post it forthwith!

[jamiegirl27]

best interpretation ever! . .Sofronitsky achieves amazing effects here.

[phoxee]

I didn't know it was possible to get that kind of sound out of a piano. How in the world do you strike the keys to produce such diverse coloring. I see why Scriabin wanted to make color an aspect of the music.

[smithsherman]

It's not so difficult from the fingers as it is getting the concept to arise in the mind.

The physical takes decades...but the awareness that could create such specific technical habits might not come in 20 lifetimes

[777cc777]

This is amazing ~ from Moscow live performance ~ he also plays the 8th (what a magnificence!). There's another Sofronitsky 9th recording on "best of Sofronitsky" in the 'great pianists' series ~ the ending is even more momentous, if you can imagine! Note that he didn't like recordings, and called them "corpses" hehe I see his point ~ but still, each time they are played, they live again

[LeonFleisherFan]

Pray tell, what recording (year) is the one included in the GPOC series? If it's indeed better than this, I must hear it!!

[elineangelica]

i'm playing this piece now.. perhaps you just shouldn't.. it's impossible to make it sound anything like this.

[beatriche2000]

I like how he interprets Scriabin. For me he is the best at this. Unparalleled!

[pianopera]

Dear Truecrypt,

From what year is this recording?

[truecrypt]

It's 1959 recording

[pianopera]

Thanks!

[SarrasaniPianoCircus]

I really adore this pianist.

My favourite of all times.

I know all his recordings, and love all them from the first note to the last.

Great overwhere, but the discover of his Schubert-Liszt make me begin again to play piano.

All best and congratulation for the idea to share this file,

Sandro

[smithsherman]

Here is something rare...The Luminosity of a Michelangeli,haunted effects of Argerich,but much more than either,his phrasing & timing is so evocatively unpredictably vulnerable.

This piano & his tone production together project a personal Gothic nightmare.Somehow he gets the personal softness in the middle

of impersonal universal peril.

[mlleprufrock]

You would doubtless be unsurprised to learn that this is one of my favorite recordings!

[smithsherman]

Dear ...,I'm surprised you know of it.I'm not surprised you love it...it's you!

[suzettegm]

I agree...he was the ideal son in law...very rare indeed. It's great, no kidding!

[billyguns2]

Thank you so much for introducing me to this unbelievable performance! Please keep your listening suggestions coming, as you are batting 1,000 with me.