ALEXANDER SCRIABIN - WALTZ in A-flat Major Op. 38 IGOR ZHUKOV - Piano (Bechstein) recorded in 1980 . recorded from STEREO Vinyl LP made in russia by MELODIYA (1982)
This man plays the piano in such a noble way! Are there still pianists today who have this amazing feeling for the sound and the motion of a piece? I'm afraid not....
I discovered Scriabin only a few months ago, and he’s quickly become my favorite composer (all my life I’ve loved Chopin). But this waltz is so emotionally charged, graciously majestic... it transcends.
If I didn't know a musical axiom which says that nobody can play Scriabin better than Sofronitsky, I'd say it's better than Sofronitsky... Only treasures here, nothing but treasures on this wonderful channel! Thank you very very much!!
Such a beautiful piece in such a sympathetic performance! Sometimes Scriabin 'reaches the parts that other composers fail to reach' and here Zhukov ensures that this happens. Shame I didn't notice this post two years ago!
I admire Zhukov's pedaling - the music 'hangs together' better. Scriabin's very intense, kaleidoscopically quirky, flippantly emotional dreaming, one would think, is coming either from stellar romantic ardor.........or an extremely passionate, unbalanced mind on the verge. Or both.
Art Palmer: This was a very well written comment and excellent word choice by you. One of the better comments I have read about a composer on RU-vid: Succinct, thoughtful and colorful. Kudos!
In this piece Zhukov is only equalled by Professor Michael Ponti (who recorded the complete piano works of Scriabin) and of importance both excusively used and recorded on a Bechstein piano, my personal favorite.
This one ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-p_U0SlFLpt0.htmlsi=WDk7Nj7U3OFzgfRp ? Don't make me laugh. He can't even remember the notes ffs. Doesn't even approach half of the amount of care put in here.
One of the few to observe the dynamic markings on the penultimate page of my score. When a composer instructs the player to move from p to pp to ppp, with diminuendos across many of the bars, he means it. Why not play it that way? Zhukov gets very close to what was intended.
Most enjoyable.Strange that Zhukov,often a rather forceful,even... rough player,should find much lyricism&fantasy here.Lines are beautifully brought out in supple rythms,and altho missing the elan of a Bashkirov,this is equally,or more persuasive,and no lack of elan or brilliance for the climax!Responding to mention of Sofronitzky,i'm sorry but that"icon's"live performance on YT is a criminal massacre of this beautiful piece,and it's good to now have some fine alternatives.Bravo Zhukov!
I agree with Zhukov being a forceful player. His Tchaikovsky second concerto (one of my all-time favorite recordings) is tremendous and colossal, all steely power. But rough ? Never. And the poetry, tenderness and delicacy (as well as great power when called for) he brings to a work like this is just unparalleled.
