Krein - Piano Sonata (Part 1/2)

Part one of the Piano Sonata Op. 34 (1922)

In early 20th-century Russia, Alexander Krein (1883-1951) was a major Jewish composer whose compositions were performed alongside the likes of Shostakovich and Rachmaninov. In the U.S.S.R., Krein also spearheaded the National Jewish School of composers, whose members included Weprik, Achron, and Gnessin. Before anti-Semitism engulfed Russia during Stalin's regime, Krein enjoyed a successful composing career. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory, befriended Scriabin and Protopopov, and his music was performed routinely by the Association of Contemporary Musicians, a prominent faction of avant-garde composers. In the 1920s Krein embraced the "scriabinesque" and also took an interest in Jewish folk music. Like most Soviet composers during this time, his style shifted after the establishment of socialist realism in the 1930s. Consequently, Krein had to abandon integrating Jewish melodies in order to pacify the anti-Semitic Soviet officials.

The main theme of Krein's Piano Sonata is actually based on a Hebrew melody, although this is difficult to determine from the thick sonorities and chromatic harmony. Krein is not a melodist and I don't think his piano sonata is immediately gratifying. But it is an impressive large-scale piano work with many powerful moments. Scholar Larry Sitsky believes "the Op. 34 Piano Sonata must be deemed as one of the finest products of this period and encourages further exploration into this composer's music."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• scriabin
• feinberg
• rachmaninov

[georgecziffra]

Do you have any more of Krein's music? This is so interesting.

[Hexameron]

I do, but alas, not the scores. A. Krein also wrote Five Preludes Op. 3 for solo piano recorded on the ASV label (performed by Jonathan Powell also). Some interesting chamber works can be found on that disc, too, including an Elegy for piano trio.

[Crudblud89]

Kind of makes me think of Messiaen and Ravel combined.

[MJE112358132134]

Who's the performer? I can't seem to see this mentioned anywhere. Is it the one by Jonathan Powell?

[MJE112358132134]

This is incredibly beautiful, really. I've been looking at various Soviet futurist composers on YouTube recently (Feinberg, Lourie, etc.), and they're interesting, but perhaps not always immediately accessible. I would recommend this Krein Sonata as a good starting point for anyone who'd like to look into this group of Soviet composers. Its harmonic progressions, passages repeated by sequence, and its soaring passion really remind me of Scriabin. Great stuff!

[SaniaSoone]

@Darrning And what is "not" boring?

[SaniaSoone]

Does anybody have any records of Leonid Sabaneev's music? He was so close to Krein, but there are absolutely no records...

[Darrning]

Stoooop! how boring!!! Very bad music. Mediocre composer; A. Krein between the russian avant-gardiste is surely among the least gifted. BORING BORING BORING

[realself1]

hanging onto the past, but beautiful.

look at that score!

[HeroSOlica]

what an ugly song !

[Crudblud89]

@dalecampbl5 Hey, hey, hey, I said Ravel AND Messiaen, also known as my two favourite composers! Besides which, the Russian futurist composers are awesome.

[dalecampbl5]

don't you dare use Ravel's style and mix it up with this crap. hahahah...j/k...sort of

[aculturemind]

@Crudblud89

Mmmm, it really harks most from Scriabin and the octatonic (note in particular the downward cadence at 5:44, that is repeated), though there are some 'impressionistic' elements and such here and there. The upward figure at 7:17, that keeps reaching, is very like a part in the Praeludium in Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis (some years later).

Always neat to hear others explore the octatonic.