Lovely “poison perfume” sounds that’s typically Scriabin. The rhythm is horrendously complex. The underlying pulse of the waltz is not always brought out in the playing. However, I admit I don’t understand enough about this music, it’s generally accepted performance style, and the tradition of its playing to be trying to make any form of criticism.
This is from Sandro Russo's album "Russian Gems". The recording is truly a gem and it includes among other things the best recording - IMO - of the Medtner F minor Sonata op. 5. A must listen performance!
That is true, with the exception of a few parts. The middle with the stable, calm chords in the left hand is, to me, reminiscent of Chopin's waltzes, for some reason
"Sofronitsky alters the ending by changing the final chord from A minor to A major." Surely you meant to write "from c minor to C major." Incidentally, Scriabin wrote the Picardy third in the manuscript but deleted it for publication.
The composer is not Steven Isserlis, but rather his grandfather Julius Isserlis. Julius Isserlis was one of 12 musicians who were permitted to leave Lenins Russia in the 1920's and he simply never returned. He lived in London after 1938 where he knew Medtner. It's really quite an interesting story
Yes... I too appreciate this lesser known but intriguing composer. I just read his wiki. What a horrible time frame do be born and to die in... such a stretch of suffering because WW I, Nazis, Commies, WWII, etc. I felt his suffering and travails. The music is appealing.. as well the pianist!
His life was indeed troublesome. It’s a shame that this prevented his success as a pianist and composer. Although his style was admittedly quite old fashioned for the time, not that it wasn’t unique and incredibly
There are times where the harmony choices remind me of the Debussy's Sarabande and rhythm sounds like a precursor to Reich's electric counterpoint. Astonishing.
They are noted separately to make you aware of the different voices. The pianist should try to make the descending melody stand out as phrase (as opposed to the C octaves)
the pianist doesn't follow the music in a lot of places, it seems. The rhythm he uses in the left hand in variation IX is a bit bizarre.... It's like he turns the eight note into a 16th note and moves the lower note of the next whole note forward a 16th. I suppose he's decided to do this because of how far the whole and dotted whole notes are from one another and he didn't like to roll them. I'm not certain i care for his solution, though.
Awesome!! As a pianist playing this for the first time, with no knowledge of the piece, how would I know that those introductory chords are to be broken in that way and not simply played as solid chords? There are no instructions to the pianist on this manuscript that I can see...
This is just an artistic choice made by the pianist. You can play them unbroken, as written, if you want, although I think Schäfer’s choice is quite true to the nature of the theme
*Highlights* 1:17 4:16 - The buildup here is incredible 6:07 - Unbelievable control 8:07 - More lively than any other interpretation 9:36 - Whilst many pianists drown this part, Kholodenko plays the beginning of the third skazki in a way that comes close to Horowitz version 10:17 - Kholodenko nails this part 14:01 - Here he creates a beautiful atmosphere like no one else 16:31 - The drive here is just so compelling 19:06 - Another example of his unbelievable control 20:40 - Not so much the recording, but this chord is very interesting 22:58 - The rhythmic choices here are fantastic 23:10 - The return of the "fools dance", done sublimely 23:36 - Here he disregards Medtners dynamic instructions and plays the final climax very quietly. This drastically changes the ending, but I think it's a good choice (but definitely not something for everyone) 24:13 - Notice how he holds that bottom F
