Alexander Scriabin(1872-1915)
        Complete Mazurkas

The Mazurka is a Polish folk-dance which has been traced back as far as
the 16th Century.  Chopin elevated the Mazurka to an art form, and his
creations became the models for subsequent composers including many
Russian composers.

Scriabin composed twenty-three Mazurkas over his career as follows:

Ten Mazurkas, Opus 3(1889)
Nine Mazurkas, Opus 25(1899)
Two Mazurkas, Opus 40(1903)
Two Mazurkas, Opus Posth.(c.1886)

There aren't many discs devoted to Scriabin's Mazurkas.  Here are four of
them for your consideration:

Marta Deyanova...........Nimbus 5446(1995)
Beatrice Long............Naxos 8.553600(1995)
Gordon Fergus-Thompson...ASV 1086(1999)
Artur Pizarro............Collins 13942(1993)

Of the four pianists, Artur Pizarro likely has the most impressive overall
reputation; he also recorded Scriabin's Opus 34 Preludes for Collins as
well.  Marta Deyanova has also recorded the Opus 34 Preludes for Nimbus.
Fergus-Thompson's Mazurka disc is part of a continuing series on ASV of all
the Scriabin piano works.  Beatrice Long is an accomplished young American
pianist who studied with Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Leon Fleisher, and Seymour
Lipkin.  Each of the recordings is in print except for Pizzaro's which
crops up at various internet sales sites and used cd sections in record
stores now and then.

Ten Mazurkas, Opus 3 - The 1st Mazurka is in B minor and marked "Tempo
Giusto".  Involving major-minor mode alternations, the piece has a fine
lyricism combined with tension which creates the foundation for the
subsequent climaxes.

Fergus-Thompson gives us one boring dance.  It has little 'edge' and
then erupts with no rhyme or reason; reading the liner notes is a more
captivating experience.  Like Fergus-Thompson, both Deyanova and Pizarro
are on the slow side at almost five minutes.  However, they do offer the
tension omitted by Fergus-Thompson.  My preferred version is from Beatrice
Long whose quick reading of under four minutes breezes along with
exuberance; she also provides more 'bite' and nervous energy than the
other three versions.  To cap it off, Long holds up very well to the
reading of Samuel Feinberg on Russian Season.  Both performances display
similar tempo and a nervous exercise of energy.

The 2nd Mazurka of Opus 3 is in F sharp minor and alternates between
tender longing and exuberance.  Listening to the four versions and the
Feinberg got me to thinking about how the emotion of 'longing' is conveyed
by the pianist.  From my persective, it's largely a matter of intervals,
articulation, and inflection.  Long and Pizarro get it right with perfect
inflection; they also are invigorating in the exuberant passages.
Deyanova's inflections are weak, and Fergus-Thompson manages to take
the zest out of exuberance through stretched out spacing.

The 3rd Mazurka is a G minor Allegretto which begins with a very sad
first section followed by a short but desperate middle section.  Both
Pizarro and Fergus-Thompson are a little slow to qualify for allegretto
status, but the slow tempo enhances the capacity to convey sadness.
Surprisingly, Fergus-Thompson is the more successful in highlighting the
music's sadness.  The desperation of the middle section is exceptionally
conveyed in Deyanova's exciting reading.  Long continues with a brisk pace
and fine sense of the mazurka.  Although each of the four versions is
rewarding, none holds up well to Feinberg who fully captures the sad and
desperate qualities while giving the dance quite a rhythmic vitality.

The 4th Mazurka is in E major and has a lovely floating melody of gentle
persuasion.  For this piece, I'd like to concentrate on Fergus-Thompson
and Feinberg.  In Feinberg's version, the rhythmic patterns are lively
and diverse(even jagged at times)without disturbing the gentle nature of
the floating melody.  By contrast, Fergus-Thompson is slow with little
diversity of rhythm; his four-minute plus performance wears out its welcome
long before the conclusion.  This pianist also displays these tendencies
in the previous three Mazurkas; he's slow, very smooth, and doesn't reveal
much exuberance.  Listening to a few of Fergus-Thompson's Mazurkas in a row
leads to quite a feeling of inertia as he sucks the life out of the dance
music.  The other three artists give fine readings of the E major, although
without the interest and variety provided by Feinberg.

The 5th Mazurka of Opus 3 is in the unusual key of D sharp minor.  If you
like melancholy music tinged with tension which rises to the surface on
occasion, the D sharp minor is for you.  Tempo differentials among the
reviewed versions is wide.  Pizarro and Fergus-Thompson continue their
slow ways with readings over five minutes each; Long takes well under
five minutes, and Deyanova shortens the proceedings to under four minutes.
By comparison, Feinberg is right at the four minute mark.

Sadness and tension are the keys to the 5th Mazurka, and I find that each
version well conveys both features.  My preference, by a narrow margin, is
with Beatrice Long whose inflections create a more intense melancholy.

The 6th Mazurka, in C sharp minor, sets an opening section which is playful
and light against a tension-filled and foreboding section in G sharp minor.
The contrasts between the two sections are stunning, and the G sharp minor
section is pure magic; this mazurka is easily my favorite of Opus 3.  Among
the four versions, only Deyanova can rival Feinberg for the tension and
dread of the second section.

Intense sadness and pathos are pervasive in the 7th Mazurka with its
descending lines.  Beatrice Long's performance highlights for me the
primary difficulty in playing these mazurkas excellently.  The performer
must convey the emotional essence of each piece while never neglecting the
basic dance rhythms.  Although Long has been quite exceptional in balancing
these two elements, she misses the mark with the 7th Mazurka.  There's
little pathos in her reading, and I sense that all priority is placed on
the dance.  The other three versions are excellent, but one needs to go to
Feinberg to locate that perfect blend of rhythm and emotion.

Liner notes often mention the "despondency" of the 8th Mazurka in B flat
minor, and this quality certainly is in evidence.  However, I'd give equal
billing to the music's tension which even exists in the more mellow middle
section.  Neither despondency nor tension have much of a role in Deyanova's
performance which is too cheerful and rather boring; she also provides
no foundation for a couple of very overt displays.  Fergus-Thompson is
no better as he smooths out the music at a snail's pace of about 3 1/2
minutes.  Pizarro, at three minutes, is slow enough and his tension and
poetry are at peak levels.  Also excellent is Long's reading which is
quick, tense, and the most rhythmically active of the four versions.

The pattern of the 9th Mazurka is: innocence-unrest/activity-outburst.
Frankly, three of our artists don't provide sufficient unrest and activity
to justify their outbursts.  Deyanova offers an exceptionally active rhythm
and compelling passages which lead naturally into the overt emotional
releases; this is a strong turn-around from her disappointing 8th Mazurka.
Concerning Beatrice Long, she surprises me with a rather flat reading which
makes her outbursts stand out as contrived.

There are a fair share of outbursts in the 10th Mazurka which is the
most extended of Opus 3 in terms of length and emotional breadth.  As
so often with Scriabin, tension is the key to an excellent performance.
Fergus-Thompson provides little tension with his very slow and dreamy
interpretation.  Essentially, all his worst traits in playing Scriabin come
home to roost in the 10th Mazurka:  stodgy rhythms, contrived outburts, and
a consistent failure to convey the depths of Scriabin's emotional world.

Pizarro is as slow as Fergus-Thompson but much more vital and perceptive,
while Deyanova gives a fine rhythmic bounce to the music although she
does go 'over-blown romantic' at times.  By far the best of the four
performances comes from Beatrice Long.  Right from the start, her tension
greatly exceeds the competition.  She creates an anticipation of what this
tension will lead to, and her resulting outbursts represent a natural
outgrowth of the music's arguments.  Long's exceptional interpretation
reminds me of the great Scriabin pianists of the early 20th century.

Nine Mazurkas, Opus 25 - Of greater harmonic adventure than the Opus 3 set,
Opus 25 reveals a surer command of structure and some of Scriabin's most
hauntingly beautiful melodies.  Opus 25 opens with the Mazurka in F minor
which is one of my favorite Scriabin mazurkas.  The piece is largely one
built on emotional remorse and longings not realized, although there is a
central section (Vivace) that projects a triumphant attitude.  Tension and
contrast hold the key to an excellent performance.

As she has sometimes done previously, Deyanova gives an over-wrought
performance lacking subtlety and sufficient contrast; she essentially gives
the 'building-up' element short shrift.  Long also tends to be emotionally
extreme too much of the time, but she does offer many tender moments.
Fergus-Thompson is better than his usual; although he remains slow as a
turtle, his animation and accenting are strong and result in a stimulating
interpretation.  My favored version is Pizarro's which builds toward
climaxes naturally, provides excellent tension, and is easily the most
gorgeous reading of the group.

Not one of Scriabin's most inspired mazurkas, No.  2 in C major needs
atmosphere, mystery, and tension; otherwise, the recipe for a lounge room
performance is strong.  Beatrice Long's reading is devoid of atmosphere
and tension, belonging to the Holiday Inn crowd.  Pizarro is a better
proposition, although he also can sink into trivial utterances.

Fergus-Thompson is even slower than his norm, but it works out fine.
He provides the necessary tension and mystery in a luxurious fashion.
Deyanova is also excellent and much quicker than Fergus-Thompson.  She has
a great handle on the halting rhythmic pattern, and it enhances the sense
of mystery in her reading.

The 3rd Mazurka of Opus 25 is a Lento in E minor and the most poignant
piece in the set.  Its beauty can not be restrained as it blends with a
heavy dose of chromaticism which produces intense sadness and/or mystery.
As usual, Deyanova and Long are the quicker versions.  The difference
between them is that only Deyanova conveys the full poetry and intensity
of the music; Long seems rather skittery, and the mystery recedes.

Both Pizarro and Fergus-Thompson take us on a leisurely journey to a bleak
environment where hope has no possibility; this is another aspect where
Long does not succeed as she exhibits a precious quality.

In the key of E major, the 4th Mazurka of Opus 25 is played quite
differently by Beatrice Long than the other three pianists.  Long's is
much quicker than the other versions and takes on a very playful and
rather cheery demeanor; the other pianists inject greater drama, tension,
gloom, and emotional complexity into the piece.  I find Long a little
undernourished in comparison, although some listeners would likely
appreciate the 'light' interpretation.

The 5th Mazurka, in C sharp minor, is marked "Agitatio", so Scriabin still
continues to drill the listener with his brand of tension-laden drama and
urgency.  There's hardly a trace of 'light' at the end of the tunnel, and
the piece ends in despair.  The reviewed versions are at the four-minute
mark except for Fergus-Thompson who extends to close to five minutes.
Pizarro gives quite a dramatic and tense account with climaxes which flow
naturally from the unsettled nature of the music.  Long provides greater
rhythmic vitality than Pizarro, but she is less concentrated and lower on
the tension scale; this results in rather contrived climaxes.  Deyanova
tends to switch back and forth from bluster to relaxation, and I feel she
is far from Scriabin's core.

Fergus-Thompson's slower tempo doesn't have any negative consequences,
since his articulation and inflections are strong and poignant; his rich
version stands tall next to Pizarro's.

Update:  Two of our pianists, Fergus-Thompson and Long, seem to have
reversed themselves from the Opus 3 to Opus 25 Mazurkas.  Life-draining
in Opus 3, Fergus Thompson is now investing each piece with excellent
tension, projection, and emotional depth.  Perhaps the Opus 25 music,
which is certainly more in Scriabin's unique voice, has a more natural
appeal to the pianist.  Whatever the reason, his Opus 25 performances
are a big improvement and thoroughly rewarding and emotionally filling.
Beatrice Long appears to have abandoned the emotionally deep and tense
readings she gives of Opus 3.  In Opus 25, she has tended to be either
slack or overblown.

The 6th Mazurka of Opus 25 is an Allegretto in F sharp major to which
Deyanova supplies a very active and appealing rhythmic pattern.  The other
three pianists do an excellent job in conveying the music's beauty and
drama, but Deyanova offers all that *plus* a vivid quality that puts her
version at the top.

Opulence and a haunting quality pervade the 7th Mazurka in F sharp minor.
Deyanova is again the quickest and most active of the four pianists.
However, this time the advantages are slight and offset by her lower
quotient of richness.  Long is able to quicken to pace and also retain a
strong haunting nature.  Fergus-Thompson and Pizarro are at their usual
slow ways which take very well to the music's nature.

Pizarro gets off the slow train, leaving Fergus-Thompson alone with a
very slow Allegretto represeting the 8th Mazurka of Opus 25.  Actually,
his tempo is more along the lines of an Adagio, and he should have jumped
the train with Pizarro.  The reading stalls numerous times, indicating
empty space and much in the pattern of Fergus-Thompson's unrewarding Opus
3 performances.  Beatrice Long has a different problem in this music of
relaxation except for a short and angry second section; she starts getting
irked in the first section, and it is not music which takes kindly to a
demonstrative presentation.  Both Pizarro and Deyanova get it right with
comforting and serene first sections which never sputter.

Coming to the 9th and last Mazurka of Opus 25, I've often been reporting
on the slow tempo similarities of the Fergus-Thompson and Pizarro readings.
Another common bond is they share the same liner notes.  For the 9th
Mazurka in E flat minor, the notes refer to the piece as "tortuous".
Evidently Fergus-Thompson doesn't care for that description; his reading
is 'harmless' and doesn't wind its way to any direction.  Unfortunately, he
has again fallen back on his bad habits from Opus 3.  Switch to Pizarro and
the articulation and attacks have some weight to them; there's actually a
tension to the music entirely missing in Fergus-Thompson's boring account.

For an excellent and quicker alternative to Pizarro, Long nicely fills the
need; she elicits a wealth of tension while maintaining a high degree of
poetry.  However, Deyanova's reach for greater tension and vitality is at
the expense of the music's beauty.

Two Mazurkas, Opus 40 - Composed about four years after the Opus 25 set
of Mazurkas, Scriabin begins taking his inward and exotic path toward
full musical maturity.  The 1st Mazurka, an Allegro in D flat major, starts
off delicately, turns to fiery displays, and then ends unexpectedly in a
magical puff of smoke.  Deyanova and Long are again the quicker versions,
and I much prefer Long in the D flat major.  She displays a fine sense of
balance between the delicate and fiery music, while Deyanova takes the
over-blown route when the fire is presented.  Fergus-Thompson is his usual
slow and unanimated self, but it's Pizarro who surprises me with a very
slow and static reading merely in the pretty category.

The 2nd Mazurka of Opus 40 is in the key of F sharp major and is a
graceful and perfumed piece played excellently by Deyanova and Long.
Fergus-Thompson and Pizarro are much slower and more in the piano lounge
mode; however, each has a dreamy atmosphere which is appealing.

Two Mazurkas, Opus Posth.  - Early teenage works of Scriabin's, these
two pieces reveal a strong debt to Chopin; Scriabin was much too young at
this point to give the music any kind of individual voice.  Of the four
reviewed recordings, only Beatrice Long includes them.  I suppose that's
an advantage for her, but the two pieces really add little to our insight
about Scriabin and are not close to conveying significant inspiration.  The
D flat major piece is a perky item, while the F major is darker with more
drama.

I did compare Long's versions of these two pieces to those of Stephen
Coombs on a Hyperion disc devoted to early Scriabin piano music.  Long's
D flat major has greater rhythmic bounce than Coombs', but her F major has
some overwrought passages which Coombs wisely avoids.

Don's Conclusions:  I have to say that I find Scriabin's Etudes more
rewarding than his Mazurkas - greater complexity, inspiration, and
structural perfection.  Even in Scriabin recital programs, mazurkas are
given less attention that preludes, etudes, and poems.  With this in mind,
I'm not entirely sold on the value of a disc devoted to all of Scriabin's
Mazurkas.

However, if you want all of them, Pizarro's version is definitely the
one to go for.  Although out of print, Collins discs are frequently
available on the used market and some internet sales sites such as Allegro
Music.  The disc is the best of the four mainly due to its consistency of
excellence.  Whether it's Opus 3, 25, or above, Pizarro maintains a fine
sense of tension and articulation; further, his balance between angst
and serenity is admirable.  There's little reason to consider the
Fergus-Thompson recording which falls apart in Opus 3.  If you want 'slow',
Pizarro is your man.

Beatrice Long's high points come in Opus 3 and Opus 40.  In between,
there's much rough sledding with unidomatic outbursts and reduced tension.
Deyanova also can go overboard, and she sometimes loses the music's poetry.
However, there's no doubt that Deyanova has the most lively rhythms of the
four pianists.  These two versions surely have worth, leaving only
Fergus-Thompson as the artist to pass by.

Next up to the plate will be Scriabin's Preludes.  He wrote 90 of them, and
they take up 2 complete discs.  I'll be back with Part 5.

Don Satz
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