Alexander Scriabin - Complete Impromptus and Other Early Pieces (Boris Bekhterev)

Information

Composer: Alexander Scriabin

• (01) Allegro appassionato, Op. 4
• (02) 3 Pieces, Op. 2
• (04) Nocturnes, Op. 5
• (06) Impromptus à la Mazur, Op. 7
• (08) Pieces for the Left Hand, Op. 9
• (10) Impromptus, Op. 10
• (12) Impromptus, Op. 12
• (14) Impromptus, Op. 14
• (16) Polonaise, Op. 21

Boris Bekhterev, piano
Date: 2010
Label: Camerata

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Review

Boris Bekhterev’s recent recording of Scriabin’s ‘Complete Impromptus and Other Early Pieces’ brings his extensive survey of the composer’s piano music nearer to completion. Although issued as separate discs rather than a set, when taken as a whole, these recordings showcase a pianist with insight and understanding, marking him out as one of the best Scriabin interpreters of the present time.

Of the early pieces represented here the Allegro Appassionato Op.4 and the Polonaise Op.21 are the most extensive in form and style. They are Scriabin’s attempt at producing larger-scale works for his own performances and both remain useful to pianists of today.

Scriabin chose to play his Op.4 piece to begin a recital in Geneva on 30 June 1906 and it remains a good choice with which to open the chronologically presented works on this disc. Here, Bekhterev’s account gives the piece a life which lifts it far above the étude status offered by other pianists. He is successful in making the most of the melodic content, never allowing it to be obscured by technicalities. His more lyrical approach to the middle section offers a good contrast to the impassioned voice of the opening. Along with this, a good choice of tempo ensures a very convincing reading.

Choosing a suitable tempo for a Scriabin piece is one of the most important and critical decisions to be made by any pianist in preparation for a concert. Bekhterev seems to select the right tempi intuitively, and in the case of the Polonaise Op.21, his adopted tempo helps bring out the heroic character of the work. Well founded intonation allows the broad theme time to breathe with characteristic dignity.

The Impromptus date from 1889 to 1895 and the harmonic, rhythmical and mood changes required are thoughtfully handled by the pianist who manages to capture well the intimacy of these short pieces. The ever-popular Pieces for Left Hand Op.9 receive fluent and poetic presentation complemented by Camerata’s well recorded piano sound.

-- Stuart Scott, MusicWeb International

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Alexander Scriabin (6 January 1872 [O.S. 25 December 1871] – 27 April [O.S. 14 April] 1915) was a Russian composer and pianist. Scriabin was one of the most innovative and most controversial of early modern composers, and is considered by some to be the main Russian Symbolist composer. Independently of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed a substantially atonal and much more dissonant musical system. He was influenced by synesthesia, and associated colours with the various harmonic tones of his atonal scale. Scriabin had a major impact on the music world, and influenced composers such as Stravinsky and Prokofiev.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scriabin

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Boris Bekhterev was educated at Gnessin School of Music, earned a doctorate at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, and won 1st prize in the Soviet Pianists’ Competition in 1970. Since then he has played at some of the most prestigious concert halls in the Soviet Union, Europe, the United States and Japan. He boasts a very wide repertoire, mostly consists of works by Russian composers. Bekhterev taught in Moscow from 1972 to 1986, in Italy from 1987 to 1996, and in Japan from 1996 to 2011. Since 2011 he is back in Italy. In 2015 he completed recording of all Scriabin compositions for piano solo.
http://www.borisbekhterev.com/

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