[Pugg]

A vote for Ashkenazy from me as well. He's not perfect - no one is - but I think he doesn't get the credit he deserves as a Scriabin interpreter. His complete set is a really impressive effort! In addition, he has recorded the piano concerto and the Prometheus as the pianist + the three symphonies as the conductor! He's a true Scriabin expert.

Well spoken, people like to bash, just for the bashing, I am not bothered just like you .

 

[Valjuan]

I've also been getting into the Scriabin Sonatas and have been surveying Ashkenazy's complete set. This was brought on because a studios mates of mine played Scriabin 2 and 4 last semester and I'm currently working on "Black Mass". Any particular suggestions for other interpretations of No. 9? I'm already quite familiar with Horowitz's demonic reading of it.

 

[Pugg]

I've also been getting into the Scriabin Sonatas and have been surveying Ashkenazy's complete set. This was brought on because a studios mates of mine played Scriabin 2 and 4 last semester and I'm currently working on "Black Mass". Any particular suggestions for other interpretations of No. 9? I'm already quite familiar with Horowitz's demonic reading of it.

Welcome to Talk Classical, Valjuan.

 

[Valjuan]

Thanks! It's a pleasure.

 

[DavidA]

Cannot get on too well with this music but the best I terpreters appear to be Horowitz and Richter, but, of course, neither of them made a complete set. Yuja Wang also recorded no 2 in amongst others.

 

[DeepR]

Yuja Wang's performance of the second sonata is fantastic.

The way she handles that sublime ending of the first movement and the entire second movement is spectacular; she brings out everything there is in this piece.
For some reason it took Scriabin 5 years to compose this sonata, but he made it work.

 

[DeepR]

A vote for Ashkenazy from me as well. He's not perfect - no one is - but I think he doesn't get the credit he deserves as a Scriabin interpreter. His complete set is a really impressive effort! In addition, he has recorded the piano concerto and the Prometheus as the pianist + the three symphonies as the conductor! He's a true Scriabin expert.

He's not my favorite overall but I agree he's great with Scriabin. I love his playing of the 8th sonata, which is my favorite sonata. To these ears he also conducted the finest versions of the concerto and third symphony.

 

[NLAdriaan]

A vote for Maria Lettberg, who captures the right atmosphere and offers (almost) the entire Scriabin solo piano oeuvre on 8 CD's (+1 DVD) at a steal.

Since the last post here, a Richter 2 CD Scriabin compilation was brought to the market (Praga Digitals/Harmonia Mundi), for if you don't have all this already on separate discs.

 

[joen_cph]

Some remarkable, individual ones are Szidon in Sonata 1, Sofronitsky in Sonata 3, and Pogorelich in Sonata 2.
Ashkenazy is a safe bet for an initial, whole set.

 

[Guest]

I like Igor Zhukov's and Anatol Ugorsky's complete sets.

 

[flamencosketches]

I like Ashkenazy's complete set on Decca. Another favorite is Sofronitsky's recording of the 3rd, as well as the Black Mass. The latter is my favorite pianist of Scriabin overall.

 

[chill782002]

Sofronitsky, Horowitz and Richter are always a safe bet when it comes to Scriabin. For lesser known pianists, Laredo, Zhukov and Alexeev are also very good.

 

[Larkenfield]

Current favorite of the moment is the already mentioned and well-recorded Dmitri Alexeev. If pianists get the iconic 5th Sonata right, they usually understand the others, and for me, Dmitri understands Scriabin's mystical tendencies: https://www.amazon.com/Scriabin-Complete-Sonatas-Dmitri-Alexeev/dp/B00BYQBXZK

 

[Rogerx]

My favorite Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano), almost untouchable.

 

[MrMeatScience]

I'll add my vote to the chorus suggesting Ashkenazy. Of the more modern recordings, he seems to get the music more than most. I turn to these sonatas more and more these days, and they only get better with time.

 

[aussiebushman]

Unless I missed it,no one has mentioned Lazar Berman. Unfortunately, I can find no suggestion that he ever recorded more than a few pieces but if you can find what is available, you are in for a revelation.

The Mercury-Hill boxed set 943492 includes the Scriabin Etudes Op 42 numbers 1-8, also Fantasia Op 28, both mind-blowing performances.

Time Magazine described Berman as a virtuoso whose blinding technique appears an easy rival to Horowitz. In my opinion, this does not mean that Berman's technique takes precedence over sheer musicianship. Arguably, much the same can be said for Gavlilov, Gordon Fergus-Thompson (

) and Piers Lane

Since Chopin was Scriabin's foremost early inspiration, it does not seem unreasonable to include this short video performance of Lola Astanova. Listening is optional - just watch and drool!

 

[Roger Knox]

Since Chopin was Scriabin's foremost early inspiration, it does not seem unreasonable to include this short video performance of Lola Astanova. Listening is optional - just watch ...

... yet I chose, also not unreasonably, to read the comments instead. It sure took a long time to find so much as a mention of Chopin, let alone comments on rubato, pedalling, singing tone, and whether the work is more fantaisie or impromptu!

 

[Sad Al]

I find Laredo's recording outstanding when I play it loud. She plays passionately and the Baldwin piano she used was a gem.

 

[Enthusiast]

Richter, of course. I do also like Ogdon and Sudbin's Scriabin recital is also very good (but it only has two of the sonatas).

 

[Sad Al]

Sofronitsky on Denon is Denonic (sorry I couldn't resist)! It's Laredo and Sofronitsky for me. Has anyone heard Steuerman's record?