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Rachmaninoff - with all his repetitive romanticism - is by far my favorite solo piano composer. Naturally, I also like Scriabin's early stuff (the first four piano sonatas, the op. 8 and 42 etudes, the op. 11 preludes, etc.), but I find it hard to listen to, say, the 5th and later sonatas.
Has anyone else had the same experience listening to Scriabin? I can appreciate and enjoy Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Hayden, Scarlatti, Schumann, Chopin, Albeniz - this huuuuuuge span of hundreds of years of music - but when I get to Scriabin and 20th century stuff, everything sounds so inaccessible. (Actually, same goes for Debussy.)
Beethoven - Op.49 No.1 (sonata 19) Czerny - Op.299 Nos. 5,7 (School of Velocity) Liszt - S.172 No.2 (Consolation No.2)
Dream piece: Rachmaninoff - Sonata 2, movement 2 in E minor
Has anyone else had the same experience listening to [late] Scriabin?
BIG TIME
It took many many years for it to be anything at all for me, and I think the only reason I ever "got it" was that I kept hearing it 'by accident' (without really listening) and eventually it clicked -- BIG TIME.
The way I heard it 'by accident' was that it was on a Horowitz LP that I listened to over and over because of the other stuff on it, and usually didn't bother to turn it off when it got to the Scriabin. I didn't listen to the Scriabin, but y'know how it is -- if it's in the air, you at least sort of hear it. After I did 'get it,' it became one of my greatest loves in music, and one of the most successful kinds of things that I play (link).
BTW, most people who talk about "late Scriabin" start at a point a little later than the 5th Sonata, like.....let's see.....I guess the 6th. OK, I guess that's pretty close.
And I agree that there's already a breaking point with the 5th.
It's great that you're open enough to this that you're wondering about it. I never did -- all I thought was, I'm just not into stuff like this.
See? I've heard Horowitz play this sonata many, many times. I've also heard White Mass. And your playing was fine, too, and I heard the whole thing. Still didn't click for me!
I suppose it's just one of those things that comes with time. In the meantime, there's a lot that sounds like this:
Has anyone else had the same experience listening to [late] Scriabin?
BIG TIME
It took many many years for it to be anything at all for me, and I think the only reason I ever "got it" was that I kept hearing it 'by accident' (without really listening) and eventually it clicked -- BIG TIME.
The way I heard it 'by accident' was that it was on a Horowitz LP that I listened to over and over because of the other stuff on it, and usually didn't bother to turn it off when it got to the Scriabin. I didn't listen to the Scriabin, but y'know how it is -- if it's in the air, you at least sort of hear it. After I did 'get it,' it became one of my greatest loves in music, and one of the most successful kinds of things that I play (link).
BTW, most people who talk about "late Scriabin" start at a point a little later than the 5th Sonata, like.....let's see.....I guess the 6th. OK, I guess that's pretty close.
And I agree that there's already a breaking point with the 5th.
It's great that you're open enough to this that you're wondering about it. I never did -- all I thought was, I'm just not into stuff like this.
Beethoven - Op.49 No.1 (sonata 19) Czerny - Op.299 Nos. 5,7 (School of Velocity) Liszt - S.172 No.2 (Consolation No.2)
Dream piece: Rachmaninoff - Sonata 2, movement 2 in E minor
....In the meantime, there's a lot that sounds like this....
That Eb minor Prelude is incredible. To me, even though it's like only a minute and it's just one piece (I know, I know, it's part of a big set, but I'm talking about just this one piece) ....it's a kind of thing that even if you heard nothing else, you'd know that this composer has great and special things in him. I've played this piece too. The main challenge was not to catch fire and go up in flames too soon, which is pretty hard because it's so......inflaming.
I'm assuming one of our forums main Scriabinites - who learned all the 10 piano sonatas - might chime in with a word or two sooner or later...Scriabin is a complicated case for me, but I've grown to really love a lot of his music. I remember hearing a Sokolov concert with a 2nd half consisting only of Scriabin, starting with early stuff like the 3rd sonata and the op 9 pieces for left hand alone, eventually culminating in the 10th sonata and Vers la flamme. I found it extremely effective to see how his music progressed. That being said, I guess there are times when I also can't really stand hearing his music - it really depends on the mood. Also, there are composers that were heavily influenced by Scriabin (like Szymanowski) that I appreciate more than Scriabin himself.
I really love 20th century music, but similar to Mark's story, it took me awhile- and happened through haphazard listening. For Scriabin (and other composers who I don't "get" yet have an interest in) I will put a cd on in my car. I then just let it play for about a month (or more) on repeat. I hear it every time I drive. Maybe I am not always listening with intent, but the music is playing. After awhile, I find the music will be going on in my head during the day or I look forward to a particular track.
I discovered this when trying to find an effective way to study for music lit. classes. I would just play all the pieces for a month or two on repeat. By the time the test came around, I didn't even have to study and found I really enjoyed the music. I think alot of classical music takes time and multiple listens to digest.
MarkC- I listened to your Scriabin, 9th. You are so incredibly musically sensitive, and the clarity (that this piece needs to be successful) is gorgeous. That piano ain't bad either...
