Utterly weird and convincing. I think this is my favourite version of this concerto, because Zhukov understands what a strange piece it is: so he just does what he likes to bring out the best in it without trying to resolve the contradictions in it. This is a concerto written by at least 2 people: AN Skryabin (1), and AN Skryabin (2) trying to be a big romantic concerto composer. (Skryabin (1) was very young at the time). Unlike e.g. the later "piano concerto" of Prometheus, which is completely, clearly and ambiguously AN Skryabin (1), this one is schizo. Skryabin (2) keeps trying to make it a classic "big heavy romantic concerto", but Skryabin (1) can't be controlled, so he keeps breaking off from this serious business to run off after some luminous cosmic birds flitting about in multidimensional space. There's plenty of material here for a pianist to go with Skryabin (2) and show off (I've never come close to mastering even the first movement), and many pianists have done just that - but, typically, Zhukov is having none of that. Because he wears his technical mastery lightly, he can mess about. So he can do some really odd things: but none of them are invented - they're there in the piece as written if you think about it. I particularly like his use of an almost jazz finger-only sound at the start of the 2nd movement, and at some points in the 3rd which might be read as just "hey, wow the audience with a big run" moments. This is Not How You're Supposed To Play It! But it is! Possibly... who knows what Skryabins (1) and (2) were thinking at the time? Trouble is, to get to where Zhukov was you have to go far through the process of being able to play this as a piano-hero piece, and way out the other side.
Your way of putting it makes a bit of sense. I always wondered why some of Scriabin's early opus number works seemed more like some of his later works than some of the middle ones. Also, I agree with what you say about Zhukov. The reason why he is so special is that he takes Scriabin at face value.
Idk man , I think the case you are making could apply to Richter's studio Well tempered clavier recording , but not this one...a bit out of tune or course but not as far out of bounds as ur suggesting ...
