Alexander Scriabin(1872-1915)
    Complete Etudes for Piano

Hyperion 66607
Recorded 1992
Piers Lane, Piano
TT 55:46

Comparisons between Scriabin and a host of other composers can be quite
interesting.  He and Rachmaninov were school-mates and both wrote highly
romantic music early in their careers; however, it was Scriabin who took
off into the musical hinterland while Rachmaninov stayed in the mainstream.

Scriabin bears some similarity to composers such as Satie and Poulenc
in that none of the three was group-oriented.  But Scriabin was the most
anti-social of the three as evidenced by his belief in Solipsism which is
the 'only the self exists' theory.

Debussy and Schoenberg, like Scriabin, started out in the romantic vein.
Like Scriabin, both also developed their own musical language.  There are
even some learned folks who feel that had Scriabin lived well beyond his
forty-three years, he and not Schoenberg would be considered the Zeus of
atonal music.  I have trouble with this view because Scriabin was getting
increasingly self-absorbed as he aged.  I think it likely that he would
have had a mental meltdown and ended up being institutionalized.  Of
course, it's all speculation.  Scriabin did die at any early age, and his
death had great impact on just which composers would garner the reputation
of changing the face of classical music.  It certainly wasn't Scriabin
whose music was largely discarded following his death.

So, we have essentially romantic music from Scriabin with the ghost of
Chopin always nearby that started down the route to the outer limits of
harmony by about 1903.  Listening to all his etudes gives one a fine
perspective on the gradual evolution of Scriabin's unique musical voice.

With the above perceptions in mind, I will be reviewing a number of discs
of Scriabin piano works.  First up will be discs devoted to the Etudes.
The order will then be the Mazurkas, Preludes, and Sonatas.  Scriabin discs
of a 'mixed' nature will be covered last.

Piers Lane is a highly accomplished pianist whose disc of Scriabin's
Complete Etudes garnered from reviewers a wide range of opinions.  Lane has
more recently recorded Scriabin's Complete Preludes, also for Hyperion.

Scriabin wrote twenty-six etudes over his career:

Etude in C sharp minor, Opus 2, No. 1(1887)
Twelve Etudes, Opus 8(1894)
Eight Etudes, Opus 42(1903)
Etude in E flat major, Opus 49, No. 1(1905)
Etude, Opus 56, No. 4(1908)
Three Etudes, Opus 65(1911/12)

The Opus 2 is certainly romantic as are the Opus 8 & Opus 42 pieces.
Then starting with the Opus 49 Etude, Scriabin's music begins exploring
an austere and stark terrain with much harmonic creativity.  A successful
recording of Scriabin's Etudes has to pour out the romantic sentiments of
the earlier pieces and then make the switch to the more modern and
aesthetically stark world that Scriabin came to inhabit.

The Opus 2 Etude brings up the subject of the relationship between
beauty in music and emotional depth, and where Piers Lane resides
on the issue.  This is a good time to introduce Vladimir Sofronitsky,
a brilliant/tormented artist and the son-in-law of Scriabin.  When
Sofronitsky plays Opus 2, a sense of utter despair and urgency is prevalent
which alternates between tenderness and anger.  The beauty of the music
comes from this despair; it doesn't need to be coaxed out of its shell and
dwelled upon.  Sofronitsky conveys a blend of intense emotion emanating
from himself and Scriabin.

At the other end of the spectrum is an artist like Alexander Paley who
records for Naxos.  His Opus 2 is a lovely creation; Paley finds every
gorgeous nugget in the piece and milks it for all it's worth.  However,
that is all he does.  Despair, urgency, and Mother Russia are shallow
commodities in Paley's interpretation.

I am very glad to report that Piers Lane is more in Sofronitsky's corner
of the world; actually, until the conclusion, he is just as convincing as
Sofronitsky and much better recorded.  He clearly is digging deep into
the music.  Lane's deficit is his weak ending.  With Sofronitsky, the
conclusion signifies the triumph of despair; the coffin is nailed shut.
Lane just goes out with a whimper.  Still, I am greatly impressed with
Lane's interpretation up to that point and even more impressed with how
much emotional turmoil Scriabin felt at a young age and his ability to
convey it so well.  Please don't misunderstand me; the emotional depth is
not of the gushing variety.  Most of it is subtle in nature, and the
performer can either choose to key on it or not.

Now I'll cover the Twelve Etudes, Opus 8.  Overall, these pieces have
a 'fire in the belly' which sometimes erupts.  The first etude has
quick-silver and fluttering triplets which Lane highlights excellently in
his fast and exciting performance with that fire down below.  In the second
etude in F sharp minor with its zig-zagging rhythms and oriental style,
Lane is big-boned and highly romantic.  All that is fine, but Sofronitsky
also offers inner torment which gives the music more diversity and an
emotional foundation.  Lane just sounds highly emotional because it's
called for.  I do want to point out that it must be very difficult to
compete with a superb artist who knew Scriabin intimately and also
possessed internal torment.

The 3rd etude of Opus 8 is in B minor and marked "Tempestoso".  And
it certainly is a tempest of single notes, double notes, and chords
alternating in an eventual wash of rhythms.  There's also a relatively
gentle interlude for a rewarding contrast.  This is one of the pieces where
Lane and Paley differ greatly.  Lane zips through the music in the 1 1/2
minute range, while Paley's more measured approach extends the music for
an additional minute.  That Lane presents a tempest is not in doubt, but
I find him too fast to catch the nuances in the music and offer any real
emotional depth.  Moving to Paley, we can hear how the urgency is
developed, maintained, and dissipated.  Essentially, I feel that Paley's
less tempestuous reading conveys more emotion than Lane's which simply
gives us a tempest; Lane does himself in with such a fast tempo.

At this point, I'd like to veer off and reflect a little on romanticized
piano music.  One of its key elements is a highly overt emotional
intensity.  When I hear or see these extreme displays, my immediate
question is, "Why is this happening?".  There could be very good reasons
for the overt intensity, and I'm looking for its foundation.  In so many
performances of romanticized piano music, I don't hear any foundation for
the intensity.  It makes no sense and just seems like histrionics for the
hell of it.

Where does the foundation come from? I'd say its formed through an
emotional connection with the composer's soul and mind.  In Scriabin's
piano music, Sofronitsky routinely makes the connection.  Realizing that
it might have been very easy for Sofronitsky to do so, I am confident
that a performer doesn't have to be the composer's son-in-law to hit the
connection.  All it takes is a comraderie of spirit or something along
those lines.  If it doesn't exist, I find it hard to understand why the
performer would even want to push forward.

So far, Piers Lane has shown a decent connection to Scriabin.  He was
right in there with the Opus 2 etude but distant in the 2nd and 3rd etudes
from the Opus 8 set.  He has great sound which you can't possibly get from
Sofronitsky, but great sound is only the 'frosting on the cake'.  You need
to have a finished cake first before the frosting has any value(unless you
eat frosting a la carte).  Sofronitsky provides a triple layered cake; Lane
is finishing up mixing the ingredients.  I'm off this soapbox and on to
more etudes.

The 4th etude in B major is a flat-out gorgeous creation with stunning
cross-rhythms; Lane puts it across beautifully although I could have
handled a little more tension.  The 5th etude is a study in octaves; I've
never heard a version which didn't provide a tempestuous middle section,
but the first section tends to elicit different mood ranges.  Lane's is
very quick, invigorating, and playful.  Paley stresses a sultry beauty,
and Sofronitsky gives us high levels of tension and seems to be
communicating to us his fears and frustrations.  Sofronitsky is easily
the most expressive of the three, but I can't deny that the sultry and
invigorating approaches also give me great satisfaction.  These are three
outstanding interpretations, each one quite distinct from one another.

For the 6th etude in A major, I'd like to introduce the Chitose Okashiro
performance from her complete Scriabin etudes on Pro Piano, because her
interpretation is rather extreme and the opposite from Lane's.  The etude
is a shimmering and pleasantly nostalgic study in sixths for the right
hand.  Lane is quick and smooth as silk; his even flow could be considered
'flat', but he makes up for it with a heart-felt reading.  There's nothing
heart-felt about Okashiro as she gives quite a technical display of stops,
starts, and extreme differentiation of tempo within passages.  It is quite
interesting, but I wonder if it has more to do with service to the artist
than to the composer.  There is much more emotional investment by Lane, and
it pays off handsomely.

The 7th etude in B flat minor is an energetic, stormy, and even demonic
affair over a bed of triplet figures from the bass.  Lane is again quick
and smooth, but this etude needs more bounce and edge than he supplies.
Okashiro continues with her impressive command of the keyboard and rhythmic
variation; "demonic" well describes the dark and menacing effect she
conveys.

With the 8th etude in A flat major, we get a little insight as to how
Scriabin internally digests favorable happenings.  He wrote the A flat
major for his first love.  Is the music cheerful and joyous? No way.
Does it suggest the opening of new vistas or any kind of awakening? Nope.
The music seems to be nostalgic as in a nocturne, and it can get quite
melancholy also with some undercurrents of tension.  Scriabin essentially
has problems meeting anything wonderful without internally grappling with
all its potential pitfalls.

Paley gives us some tension and melancholy in his lovely version.
Okashiro heightens the tension without dampening the music's basically
relaxed demeanor.  Piers Lane doesn't recognize tension or melancholy in
the A flat major as he slowly and with little dynamic range gives us a
dreamy and rather emotionally flat reading.  With Lane, Scriabin appears
a reasonable man who has fallen in love and is basking in its glow.  The
question is whether it reflects Scriabin's personality and thought process.
I have to say at this point that Lane's smooth legato and low vibrancy are
starting to get tiresome; I'd like more angles and rhythmic bounce.

Lane does provide the greater angles and bounce to the 9th etude
which is an octave study for both hands.  This piece is as close to the
reincarnation of a Chopin ballad as you can get.  The emotions are boiling
over in the most overt manner, and the variations in dynamics are extreme.
There is a tender interlude, but even those passages are often brimming
with the potential for over-flow.  Lane pounces on all these extreme
features with great gusto; he pours it on as he must to maximize the
music's impact.  Paley is a relative pussycat and suffers in the
comparison.

The 10th etude is a study in perpetual motion for the right hand
achieved through a wide array of chromatic prisms.  Staccato and legato
passages alternate in this charming piece which can also generate much
energy and excitement.  I'm very high on Lane in the 10th.  Although he
still presents a relatively smooth surface, he moves like lightning as he
shimmers throughout and *is* perpetual motion.  Most impressive is how he
manages to invest the music with such fine lyricism and romantic leanings
at his speedy tempo.

The melancholy of falling figures dominates the 11th etude which is
one of Scriabin's most gorgeous and poignant piano pieces.  Lane easily
conveys the beauty and depth of the music.  However, versions using greater
rhythmic vitality and variety do provide a wider range of expression.
Still, Lane's is a great reading for one looking for repose in preparation
for the mighty 12th etude.

The 12th etude is mighty loud and dramatic.  This is key-banging music
and needs to be to fully convey the extreme despair of Scriabin.  As I had
noted many paragraphs above, emotions which are overtly extreme should have
a foundation for the display.  Tension is the 12th etude's foundation as is
clearly evidenced by Sciabin's own recorded performance on a Russian Season
disc.  Through courtesy of cylinders, the sound is much better than I
expected and easily good enough to hear the coiled tension the composer
provides; the incessant release of this tension constitutes the logic of
the spilling-over of angst.

Piers Lane certainly displays extreme angst and bangs those keys with
the best of them.  However, the last few drops of tension are missing
which provide the etude's coherence.  Oh well, it's hard enough to measure
up to Sofronitsky; matching up with the 'original' would seem impossible
considering that Scriabin was an exceptional pianist.  He had much
experience playing his own works, because he never played the music of any
other composers.  As he said on the subject, "I play only Scriabin".  Case
closed.

Update: Through the Opus 8 Etudes, Piers Lane is acquiting himself
very well although lacking the total immmersion in the composer's musical
world that a few others reach.  Lane tends toward quick tempos which are
generally used on favorable terms.  He is quite lyrical and often exciting.
On the negative side, Lane can get into what I consider 'smooth ruts' where
rhythmic vitality and diversity are found wanting as the legato flattens
the music and doesn't allow for much expression.  From my perspective, this
negative aspect is holding the disc back from being one of high value.

Scriabin's Opus 42 etudes of 1903 were written nine years after the Opus
8 etudes.  During the interim, Scriabin fell in with a group espousing
mysticism and the apocalypse.  He eventually came to the belief that only
the self exists; he also eventually left his wife and children for another
woman.  But the breaking of vows is just fine for man who commented to
Liadov - "I am the creator of new worlds.  I am God".  To put it mildly,
Scriabin was getting a swelled head and losing his grasp on balance.
However, the man's music continued to develop.

In the Opus 42 etudes, the complexity of meter and chromaticism increases
substantially from Opus 8.  Scriabin uses compound meter and reaches the
extremes of tonal harmony.  In essence, he hits the 'envelope' and would
subsequently break through it.

The 1st etude of Opus 42 has been likened to "swarming moths".  With
swirling triplets and constant cross-rhythms, this is a very busy and
energetic etude which affords the performer great opportunity to come
up with interesting rhythmic patterns.  Okashiro never disappoints where
rhythmic patterns are concerned, but Lane can be problematic as he plays
it 'straight' though very fast and with excitement.  Another issue I have
with Lane's performance is that it's a fairly sunny reading with reduced
contrasts of mood.  My peference would be for an interpretation along the
lines of Ruth Laredo on Nonesuch who supplies a smouldering tension even
at the beginning of the piece; the detail and impact of her bass notes
contribute significantly to a power-charged and seething performance.  I
think that Scriabin's conception would have been more in Laredo's corner
than Lane's.

Earlier in the review, I raised the premise that top priority placed on
the beauty in Scriabin's music was not a favorable approach.  The same
thinking applies to placing first priority on virtusoity, and this is where
I introduce Sviatoslav Richter who is well known for his virtuosity and
massive strength.  However, Richter never loses sight of the emotional
depth of a piece of music.  On the contrary, he gives it first priority,
already knowing that his virtuosity and strength are at his command.

Richter's recording of the 2nd etude of Opus 42 is a stunning one which
easily points out why it's superior to most any other.  This speedy piece
has a simple right-hand melody set against left hand figures which shift
across the beats; the cross-shifting can create quite a surge of subtle
tension, and Richter captures it superbly.  This sad and bleak etude takes
on an additional layer of meaning with Richter's disquieting account.  As
for vituosity, Richter seems to have three hands.

Okashiro often sounds as if virtuosity is most on her mind, and the 2nd
etude finds her giving it top billing.  What surprises me is that Piers
Lane seems to be doing the same in addition to milking the music for its
beauty.  The result is a lower degree of emotional depth than in any other
version I've heard.  I won't say that Lane's is not a very enjoyable
performance, but Richter offers insights that Lane totally misses.

Just one other aspect about the 2nd etude.  Just when it seems the piece
will end in a hushed tone, Scriabin wakes us up with a chattering of voices
which almost sounds as if he is ridiculing or feeling cynical about his
previous and profound utterings.  Self-flagellation is often a basic
element possessed by the tormented.

The 3rd etude of Opus 8, a study in trills, is aptly referred to as "The
Mosquito".  At a minimum, those trills need to annoy the listener; this is
annoying music.  Of course, Scriabin's intent was likely to do more than
annoy.  Sofronitsky offers us a mind that is careening out of control,
shifting continuously through a maze of opposites.  Lane doesn't annoy me
in the least; he's quite harmless with his even trills having no edge.
It's another 'smooth rut' for Lane; Scriabin is pushing the envelope but
Lane definitely isn't.

With the 4th etude, Scriabin must have been having one of the best
days of his life.  There's no need for tension, edges, doubts, or fears;
this Andante is thoroughly gorgeous music reflecting love, serenity, and
completeness.  As I said, it was one of Scriabin's better days.  Given this
description of the 4th etude, I was confident that Piers Lane would be in
top form with music right up his alley.  He performs splendidly as he
luxuriates in this lovely confection.  If any readers wonder if Scriabin
could write beautiful music, the 4th etude could be his calling card.  I
consider this etude *very* unusual in relation to the others of Opus 42;
perhaps it was just intended as a comforting respite.  I still think
Scriabin was in great spirits at the time.

If you're looking for a tough environment to deal with, the 5th etude in
C sharp minor more than fills the need.  Marked "Affanato", this piece is
more than just breathless and anxious.  My nickname for it is "The Wall";
we enter a world where Scriabin is King and a wall of sound from the lower
end of the keyboard will not allow the inhabitants to escape.  Eventually,
even Scriabin can't get out.  This perception is aided by the music's thick
textures.  However, of greatest impact is that most of the chords are
pulled out of balance by the addition of a seventh.

Concerning performances of the 5th etude, I'm looking for a wall that's
well projected and can't be penetrated.  It sure doesn't come from Piers
Lane; neither the projection nor detail is anything special.  It does come
from Richter whose wall is tight and dominating.  Another exceptional
performance is from the Lady of Detroit - Ruth Laredo.  Compared to her
and Richter, Lane is again harmless.

In the 6th Etude in D flat major, the wall of sound from the previous etude
continues.  This time, the wall is porous and allows for yearnings to be
fully expressed.  Cross-rhythms are again prevalent as tension holds the
key to the music.  Lane does much better with a porous wall, and his level
of tension is admirable.

The 7th etude is a relatively conservative piece expressing the
bitter/sweet nature of life.  Lane's interpretation is fleet and sunnier
in mood than most; I feel it lacks some of the contrast from other
versions.  The final etude of Opus 42 is an Allegro in E flat major which
has two highly contrasted sections.  The first section is quick-silver
and relatively weightless with the trademark Scriabin cross-rhythms.
The second section fills out the textures and is firmly grounded.  Both
sections are quite optimistic for Scriabin, and most versions provide fine
performances; that also goes for Lane's very quick reading.  However,
without getting loud or overly dramatic, Richter invests the second section
with a level of confidence and stature second to none.  Lane pleads his
case while Richter presents it.

The Opus 49 & 56 etudes only last about one minute combined, but they
take Scriabin closer to his final musical destination.  The Opus 49 has
a foundation built on clipped two-note phrases delivered with a "hopping"
rhythm; there's also a two-note sighing phrase which opens each musical
passage which almost sounds like the crying of a clown.  The tonal center
hops/shifts continuously in a relentless and swift fashion.  It's all on
the eerie side and listening repeatedly can have a mesmorizing effect.
Lane does as well as most recorded performances; he excellently conveys the
hopping tonal center and evokes from this listener a wealth of sinister and
unbalanced imagery.

Opus 56 has presto triplets set against unbroken major tenth chords; the
rhythm is of a 'skipping' nature and the emotional breadth is stunning
for a piece lasting less than 30 seconds.  Lane isn't very good here as he
largely avoids a skipping rhythm through his smooth richness.  Also, his
triplets are not well articulated.  If you want to hear exceptionally
defined triplets, Okashiro more than meets the standard.

With the Opus 65 etudes, Scriabin finally takes us to his unique inner
world.  Emotions are contemplative, austere, and doubting; textures are
stark, rhythmic impulse is abrupt, and finding the tonal center becomes a
moot issue.

The 1st etude of Opus 65 is a study in ninths that Scriabin never played
in public because his hands were not large enough.  Making execution more
difficult, the ninths have to be played in a 'scurrying' manner.  The
imagery I get from the study is that of an individual desperately trying to
find a way out of the maze of life but always being thwarted by a ghostly
presence.  The etude ends with all questions unanswered.  Lane is again too
smooth and rich to make much of an impact; Alexander Paley's reading is
much better as it conveys a strong sense of being trapped and aligns itself
with Scriabin's stark landscapes.

The 2nd etude is a study in sevenths which exudes sensuality imposed on
an atonal and stark terrain.  Sensuality and the tension created by its
contrast with austerity are the etude's emotional foundation, and Lane
never has trouble conveying Scriabin's sensual side.  However, the tension
could be tighter; I love the smouldering yet subtle intensity provided by
Sophia Lisovskaya on her BIS recording of Scriabin piano music.

The last etude, a study in fifths, begins with a brittle and very light
theme which then alternates with powerful and angry passages.  I like
Lane's quick tempo which gives the light music a helter-skelter quality
which is a great lead-in to the power that follows.

I have just one last matter to discuss about Scriabin's music before
concluding Part 1, and I picked up on it from John Bell Young who is a
noted expert on Scriabin and a fine performing artist as well.  Mr. Young
considers 'articulation' a crucial element of Scriabin's music.  From my
perspective, Scriabin uses articulation to enhance tension, poignancy, and
provide what I'll call the 'points of emphasis'.  The articulation from the
performer needs to be highly distinct and often bold and/or seething with
disquieting emotions.

In Part 2, I'll be telling you about a pianist whose 'points of emphasis'
are off-center; that's not Pier Lane's problem.  His deficiency concerns an
under-nourished articulation which stems from his smooth legato and some
lack of gusto.  The subdued articulation also reduces the amount of tension
that Lane can deliver.

Don's Conclusions: The best way to convey my reaction to Lane's disc of
the Scriabin Etudes is to report what I plan to do with it.  When I feel
like listening to gorgeous music played tastefully at night, Lane could
well end up in my cd player.  When I want to listen to Scriabin, Lane will
stay on the shelf.  I trust this gives the reader a fair idea of the
generic aspects of Lane's performances as well as the rewarding features
he brings to the music such as his feel for Scriabin's sensual nature.

Part 2 will cover the discs from Alexander Paley and Chitose Okashiro
devoted to the Scriabin Etudes; Part 3 will conclude the recordings of
the etudes with Magaloff's interpretations on Auvidis/Valois.

Don Satz
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