Sviatoslav Richter plays Scriabin Sonata No. 9, Op. 68

[SIiv3r]

Great performance. A perfect symbiosis of both the mystical and eruptive parts.

Anyone noticed the car at 2:27? :D

[sury39]

I like Russian composers also Richter playing piano though i am not a specialist. of course Beethoven stand on the top for me; as a n aside, interesting tonote that indian classical music is all devotional perhaps that is why it is appealing to westerners( there are some who like bolywood!!)in apris indian music concerts, more than 90%of audience are french!!!by an indian living in apris who likes also european classical music

[Andemephis]

"Преподаватель похвалил за игру - приободрился, послушал Рихтера - впал в депрессию" (с)

Эх, воистину, как до неба... :3

[Butzopower]

I liked Horwitz's version better myself, but still an amazing performance.

[larchmontmark]

Trucrypt -- thanks for posting this. I didn't know that Richter recorded this piece. I had looked for it before and never found it. Do you know where and when this comes from?

[hansmeyer111]

A Question: When you hear the beginning of the video with Sofronitsky playing the same sonata and then you hear the beginning with Richter, the video with Richter is a half tone higher!

Why?

[larchmontmark]

@hansmeyer111 -- I noticed that about the Sofronitsky video, and in fact did a post about it on that page. I don't think it's a full half-tone, but more like a quarter-tone. I'm guessing it's that they played the master tape TOO SLOW when they made that recording from it.

[billyguns2]

Wonderful, but Sofronitsky is transcendental.

[hansmeyer111]

It is remarcable, how the music transformes in his hands.

Like an endless picture, like a painting....

But we know that he does that with every piece and every composer he is playing.

[elcaballodecaligula]

Mr. truecrypt, thanks a lot for the add, I really admire the work of Scriabin. I have another version of this sonata, recreated by Gerhart Muench, I think it would be great to post it, but I don't know how! Could you please help me? Thanks again.

[truecrypt]

The easiest way is to create a .wmv file in MovieMaker. I think you'll find all info by reading YT help. Of course you can send me a message and I'll try to help.

[elcaballodecaligula]

Thanks a lot. I'll try to upload it and let you know!

[elcaballodecaligula]

I've uploaded the video, hope you can watch it and leave a comment. thanks

[GetMeThere1]

pjioayncoe, I'd like to suggest to you that the highest art is always and only about one thing: the human mind. Even if a piece is "only" about one individual's "mystic" vision, if it navigates through common modes of feeling and perception that others can "comprehend" then it is certainly something real and substantive; no connection to anything "external" makes it anymore real.

Ayn Rand? Well, she gets to claim herself authentically "Russian..." but her artistic limitations are well known.

[pjioayncoe]

GetMeThere1, I'd like to remind you that art is not about the human mind, but about how it conceptualizes what it sees in life and about how it judges its conceptions. Only if one has lost all his five senses can he completely isolate himself from the "external". I do not(also cannot) criticize Scriabin's musical style, only the substance.

[GetMeThere1]

I can see you enjoy semantics more than music.

The "hows" of conceptualizing and judging ARE the processing of the human mind/consciousness. What you say is exactly equivalent to what I said--yet you prefer to manufacture disagreement from it.

[pjioayncoe]

You don't seem to understand that a human mind cannot isolate itself from the "externals". A mystic does not navigate through "common modes of feelings and perceptions" but tries to avoid them and create one of his own. Do you see the foolishness of such act? Scriabin basically was trying to rewrite reality through music. I would like to know how you can comprehend his creation of this "supernatural" world.

[chad410]

I don t think that was his first intention.

[pjioayncoe]

What is his first intention?

[saintdracula]

You can say that, but it's better to create fantasies that soar across, than to say within the barriers of mediocrity of the external world. If Scriabin had listened to you, pianists

could not enjoy, the dramatically intoxicating sensations that Scriabin has given the world.

[pjioayncoe]

And also, I think every elegy has some form of life factor-like how a peron lived or how he faced death-that makes it worth listening to.

[pjioayncoe]

That's interesting...Scriabin once wrote "I am God"...Maybe when I understand the origin and mystery of life, I'll appreciate this music more. But I can still justify that this can be interpreted in "every way" since no one knows the mystery of life. It can be a slow and calm process or a fast and violent one. I think I'll play this "lifeless mystery" once I come up with my own theory (or I even might create a mystery like Scriabin did) :)

[truecrypt]

It's a joy and great challenge to perform this!

Good luck! You will love every note of it!

[pjioayncoe]

I am an atheist, but that doesn't interfere with my ability to listen to music. What do you feel after you listen to this? Any emotions? Can you describe them? I know music is not an "absolute", but it is "universal". "Universal" doesn't mean that everyone can understand it or should interprete it the same way, but means that it is telling about emotions that humans have or are able to(not necessarily are going to) experience. I am not a mystic, so I cannot experience this form of mysticism.

[pjioayncoe]

His mystic music can mean everything and nothing at the same time. Truecrypt, do you think it is worthy to depict or to listen to "mysteries" that communicate everything but LIFE?

[truecrypt]

Meaning of music is not an "absolute" term. Cis-moll fugue by Bach is a very meaningful to me in many ways and probably meaningless to my next door neighbor. I don't agree that Op. 68 "communicate everything but life" - may be it's your feelings, but for me it's rather birth of life. Mystery just adding a new dimension to this music. Bach's music, for example, full of mystery and symbolism. Does it make his music baseless for atheists just because they don't believe in God?

[pjioayncoe]

I agree with you-the portrait and the photo are uncomparable. What makes the painting beautiful is its depiction of LIFE through the artist's eyes. He captures the essentials in his LIFE and discards the nonessentials. Bad art is pieces that have the nonessentials or have no essentials at all-like the photo.However, what Scriabin sees as the "essential" is LIFELESS. His mystic music can be interpreted in every way possible because a "right" way doesn't exist in REAL LIFE.

[truecrypt]

Well, "lifeless mystery" can be a part of life too. Where is the line between life and non-life? Isn't it a mystery - just a different combinations of particles and it's LIFE. Don't you think such ideas could occupy mind of an artist? Music can express many conditions of human soul - it can be about love to farmer's daughter and about "parallel universe". Even Death can be a subject of art!

Obviously this music can be interpreted in different ways, but not *every way*...

[pjioayncoe]

I'll quote Ayn Rand:"The subject is not the only attribute of art, but it is the fundamental one, it is the end to which all the others are means...Esthetic theories(in which)only the means are regarded as esthetically relevent set up a false dichotomy and claim that a slob portrayed by the technical means of a genius is preferable to a goddess portrayed by the technique of an amateur...In art, and in literature, the end and the means, or the subject and the style, must be worthy of each other."

[truecrypt]

It's well said, but if "slob" IS worthy artist's attention the result would be a piece of art. Goddess portrayed by amateur would barely (if at all) qualified as such. To put it in simple terms - I see more depth and *beauty* in Goya's portrait of Dwarf El Primo than glossy photo of Heidi Klum.

[chad410]

see music in a glass dome and look at it from all angles. ....... we are so lucky ;))

[pjioayncoe]

Exactly! I don't think anyone understands this mysticism except Scriabin himself. This realm that Scriabin created doesn't exist. But we don't have to understand Chopin's private life to play Chopin because he is telling us feelings and thoughts in reality, somthing that is tangible. And also, how can something baseless induce superb music? Is the source(inspiration?) of the music trivial?

[truecrypt]

Yes, "baseless and trivial" can induce superb music! ;) Oscar Wild said: "All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling." But the opposite is also being true - a great piece of art can be inspired by insignificant event (which is important to artist/composer)... That's why the philosophical basis of late Scriabin sonatas is not the main and necessary condition for achieving a great performing impression.

[pjioayncoe]

I can stop arguing if you stop answering me :)

[chad410]

lol. your discussing it s very very healthy;))

[pjioayncoe]

I think mysticism has everything to do with his later works. Philosophy played an important role in his life and shaped who he is and what his music is like. May I qoute from wiki: "...though arguably much of his philosophical thought was translated into music, the most recognisable example being the messianistic 7th sonata 'white mass'." I don't believe in mysticism; in fact, I hate it. And yes, I do admire the stars when I look up, but this music doesn't remind me of them.

[truecrypt]

Look at this from another point of view...

Is it possible to perform Op. 68 without precise knowledge of "mystical theories"? Do you think Richter, Sofronitsky or Horowitz actually knew much about those "theories"? Do you need to know detailed circumstances of Chopin's private life to perform E-minor concerto?

Mysticism by itself might be naive and baseless, but it induced creation of superb music by great composer.

[pjioayncoe]

Sometimes we can be fooled into admiring the wrong things...I'll try to "enlighten" myself through listening to this, but I doubt I'll receive any revelations.

Do you believe in mysticism?

[truecrypt]

Accepting this music has little to do with mysticism. The language is sophisticated here but not beyond understanding,- actually it's a very logical evolution from "earlier" Scriabin.

I'm not sure I understand what do you mean by "being fooled". I don't believe in mysticism as a religion, but I can admire the Mystery of universe... Just look at the stars and you should get it ;)

[chad410]

"Representation... is the key word. agree knowledge of the 4 thematic strands that change through out the piece helps make it more understandable. what am i doing talking about this. This is a truly inspirational compostition. many works of prokofiev have me visualising a stage but Scriabin the sounds are quite enough. this performance is incerdible.

[pjioayncoe]

"unique"...does that make them good? I think we should be able "see" through a piece of music and tell some kind of "purpose" behind it. With some of Scriabin's works, I can tell none(or maybe because I'm not "enlightened" yet). But anyhow, thanks for your explainations.

P.S. I am currently learning one of Scriabin's etude and I think I know the meaning of that piece.

[truecrypt]

"Good" is not good enough... Late sonatas are masterpieces of the highest degree. Keep playing and listening, - this music will become yours!

[pjioayncoe]

Isn't music a very personal expression of a composer's emotions and ideas? Are those thoughts not influenced by external factors? Can music be created from "nothingness", an abyss? I don't think it's possible. That is what perplexes me about many works of scriabin, especially the later ones. Because mysticism itself is based on nonreality, his music sounds unreal and baseless, therefore hard to comprehend.

[truecrypt]

Yes, yes and no... your question/answers are correct! "Unreal and baseless" can be substituted for Cosmos and Infinity - both concepts are mysterious and hard to comprehend...

But aside from "spiritual" subjects - late Scriabin's sonatas are incredible and unique creations.

[pjioayncoe]

what is the main moving power behind his music?

[truecrypt]

Music itself...

It exists regardless of external factors.

Mystic theories could inspire Scriabin, but music is far deeper and richer than a "program" it might be based upon.

[truecrypt]

No problem... ;)

Anyway, Scriabin was under the influence of some popular philosophical/mystic theories. It fits well with his musical style, but shouldn't be taken as the main moving power behind his music.

[chad410]

golly I hope not. he would have ended up like the girl on the Exorcist......helppp

[chad410]

quite the opposite influence by mystisism perhaps a theological attempt to solve the mystery of the parallel universe out there.

[sagalat]

Help! I'm running out of time to learn to appreciate this piece

[truecrypt]

Oh, no! ;)

He was a "modernist" at that time...

[truecrypt]

P.S. I meant - Prokofiev.

As for Scriabin, - of course it's all about Mystery, Universe, Spirit, Vibrations, Big Bang, beginning of time, end of time...

[chad410]

Scriabin's penultimate sonata; an aural representation of darkness and evil.

[GetMeThere1]

Interesting. Then Scriabin must not have been particularly terrified at the notion of "hell." This is "discouraging," "hectoring," absent of any joy (or hope)...but not terrifying or angry in any dramatic sense.

In any case it is subtle. It represents "evil" mostly as the ABSENCE of anything beautiful or constructive. Come to think of it, that is probably quite insightful ;)

[chad410]

It is just a representation. perhaps knowing is to believe and not beleiving is not to know the truth. the truth being so terrible. the dead walk in the black mass stuck between 2 worlds.

[truecrypt]

For me it's a "Birth of Universe" - I see/feel all those pre-elemental waves, particles, destraction/creation... completely cosmic.

On more sober note, the piece itself is beautifully crafted and perfectly shaped. Scriabin was such a genius of music form.

[GetMeThere1]

T,

Instead of a birth, I see it as an abortion: the gathering of creation that is then rejected in the process of forming.

[truecrypt]

It can be seen like that too...

[GetMeThere1]

"stuck between 2 worlds." Yes, that expresses it well. There is a feeling of being trapped in a nether world. Feelings begin but cannot flower into being because they are refused/disaffected; a rejection of "becomming."

I'm very impressed with the piece :) Both in its creation and its expression by Richter.

[truecrypt]

Compare this with Sofronitsky... very different - personal, tragic.

Sofronitsky called Richter "Genius", Richter called Sofronitsky "God".

[skryabyn]

yeah thnks so much!

[lilly763]

Yay! First view! Anyway, the video is amazing, as usual, so thank you!