Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas [CD]

Previous reviewers have pointed out that Hamelin plays these pieces somewhat conservatively. Far from being the weakness I think this is the greatest strenth of this set. What Hamelin does is to render the sound and structure very clearly and openly. I think this does the sonatas far more justice than playing them as if they were the whims of a madman. All the sonatas are very tightly (and classically) structured, Scriabin was innovative and iconoclastic harmonically, but the sonatas adhere closely to traditional sonata form.

The trouble with performers like Szidon or Horowitz is the sheer ego of their performances. In Horowitz's case, this exhibits itself as a messy exuberance that often results in bizarre distortions that simply draw attention to the fact you are listing to VLADIMIR HOROWITZ - PIANO GENIUS. Which doesn't help to gain a greater understanding of Scriabin's music.

Szidon's problem is a little more serious, he simply doesn't have the technique to cope with these demanding pieces. He blurs great portions and his rhythms are slapdash and self-conscious. It really is Scriabin playing at its worst - cultivating a erroneous mythology about Scriabin that he was some kind of wacky mystic, whose music you don't really need to perform carefully because it exists in its own little world and the rules of musicianship dont apply.

Marc-Andre Hamelin, who has publically said that he wont perform or record pieces about which he feels he has nothing new to say, does Scriabin the greatest service. By taking him seriously as a musician and playing his works with an accuracy and clarity woefully lacking in most Scriabin interpretations.

As a result of this approach, Hamelin reveals in a much more profound way the mystery and wonder of Scriabin's later sonatas. With miraculous pedalling and touch, he creates extraordinary sounds, rich in colour and drama. He evokes like no other pianist Scriabin's singular ability to create music not of this earth

By now, most listeners are aware that MAH possesses one of the most titanic techniques ever discovered in the history of piano playing, and that his poise and sense of direction in the music he graces are second to none. In order to properly evaluate the productions of such a master, one must ask: does he bring something new to this music?
For this set of the complete Scriabin Sonatas (with the mid-early Fantasy and childhood Sonata-Fantasy thrown in as a bonus), I must most certainly answer with an enthusiastic "Yes".
As in most Scriabin, the piano sonatas have an astoundingly wide range of personality, approachability, and interpretability. This range singles out absolute "bests" (though the name Sofronitsky instinctively echoes through my head as I type this), and leaves room for new pianists to discover new and exciting ideas.
Mr. Hamelin is definitely at his best in Sonatas Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, and 10. Hamelin's style is dictative in the first three sonatas (partially due to the writing). He leads the listener through the impetuous first with daring and an audible commitment to Scriabin's expressive markings and details. Unfortunately, the elegance with which he plays the second and third sonatas make them sound tame, although he does reach a fiery climax in the final movement of the latter. For these sonatas, I recommend Ruth Laredo (2) and Sofronitsky (3). Hamelin shines in the fourth, with his depth of color and sound control transforming the first movement into a still, starry night. He is the only pianist I have heard to play the second movement "prestissimo volando" (through Gavrilov comes close, albeit by transforming the flight of ecstasy into a decisive, etude-like operation), and his coda is the most exciting I have yet heard. For an interesting comparison, listen to Ashkenazy's and Hamelin's cuts side-by-side. I am more compelled by Ashkenazy's pacing (though not by his tempo), but his tone often becomes steely and harsh. The Fantasy, found just before the fourth sonata on the first disc, is towering and grandiose. Hamelin's playing in the climactic expansion of the second theme is not to be overlooked.
The direction of the recording changes drastically on the second disc. Where Hamelin once shined his colorful and illuminating creativity upon the vestiges of Chopin's reborn legacy, he now guides the listener through mazes of ethereal majesty. In the Fifth Sonata, Hamelin holds together two vastly differing tempi (the presto first theme is nearly twice the tempo of the langouristic second) through the use of his varied tonal palette. When compared with Laredo and Horowitz, his sonata is more continuous. His range of dyanamics outdoes the Nonesuch artist's (partially due to the placid quality of Laredo's recorded sound), and carries more weight in the ecstatic coda (due to his control of expansion and tension) than the Ukrainian master's. For enthusiasts of the fifth, I also suggest Jiracek, the rising German-Czechoslovakian pianist's live recording from the Busoni Competition. The massive, geometric chords and fluttering fourth runs of the eighth conjure images of a wind-swept, crystalline ice-cavern. This mysteriously neglected sonata is often a chore to listen through (it is the longest of the sonatas) in other recordings, but Hamelin's attention to it is such that I find it the most memorable track from the set. Trills and insects are aplenty in the tenth sonata, Scriabin's "kisses of the sun" shining in a haze of intermingling sound and color. The two "masses" have received more exciting interpretations; Ashkenazy's tone drills the white, purgatory fire of the seventh sonata deep, and the dark murmurings of the ninth explode more violently with both Sofronitsky and Horowitz.
Any Scriabin, piano, or music enthusiast should be pleased with this set, as the life Hamelin's transcendental command instills in these influential works is second to none. Those who greatly enjoy this album should listen to Hamelin's recordings of the Roslavets and Godowsky sonatas, both available on Hyperion, as well as his earlier reading of Sorabji's first sonata, available on Altarus Records.
-Kris

It is truly a daring attempt to record the complete sonatas of this "pianist-gone-crazy" composer. Hamelin, more than anybody, captures the essence of Scriabin's piano style and translates it into a glorious spectrum of sound that illuminates the ear and the mind of the listener. His sense of architechture and multi-voiced texture is impeccable and his formidable technical ability is way above that which is required to play these sonatas. His playing is distinguished by a colorful sound that is clear and brilliant throughout a wide dynamic range. I recommend this set to anyone who appreciates Scriabin since it will be a while until someone comes up with an interpretation comparable to Hamelin's.