ALEKSANDR SCRIABIN - ALL WALTZES FOR PIANO SOLO (audio + sheet music)

Mystic, visionary, virtuoso, and composer, Scriabin dedicated his life to creating musical works which would, as he believed, open the portals of the spiritual world. Scriabin took piano lessons as a child, joining, in 1884, Nikolay Zverev's class, where Rachmaninov was a fellow student. From 1888 to 1892, Scriabin studied at the Moscow Conservatory, where his teachers included Arensky, Taneyev, and Safonov. Although Scriabin's hand could not easily stretch beyond an octave, he developed into a prodigious pianist, launching an international concert career in 1894. Scriabin started composing during his Conservatory years. Mostly inspired by Chopin, his early works include nocturnes, mazurkas, preludes, and etudes for piano. Typical examples of Romantic music for the piano, these works nevertheless reveal the composer's strong individuality. Toward the end of the century, Scriabin started writing orchestral works, earning a solid reputation as a composer, and obtaining a professorship at the Moscow Conservatory in 1898. In 1903, however, Scriabin abandoned his wife and their four children and embarked on a European journey with a young admirer, Tatyana Schloezer. During his sojourn in Western Europe, which lasted six years, Scriabin started developing an original, highly personal musical idiom, experimenting with new harmonic structures and searching for new sonorities. Among the works composed during this time was the Divine Poem.
In 1905, Scriabin discovered the theosophical teachings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, which became the intellectual foundation of his musical and philosophical efforts. In true Romantic tradition, he sought to situate his work as a composer in the wider spiritual and intellectual context of his age. Previously influenced by Nietzsche's ideas about the advent of a superhuman being, Scriabin embraced theosophy as an intellectual framework for his profound feelings about humankind's quest for God. Works from this period, exemplified by the Poem of Ecstasy (1908) and Prometheus (1910), reflect Scriabin's conception of music as a bridge to mystical ecstasy. While the ideas underlying his works may seem far-fetched, Scriabin's musical language included some fascinating, and very tangible, innovations, such as chords based on fourths and unexpected chromatic effects. Lacking an inner forward-moving force, Scriabin's later works nevertheless fascinate the listener by harmonic transformations which aim to reflect certain undefinable aspects of human consciousness. In addition, the composer, who strongly believed in the synaesthetic nature of art, experimented with sounds and colors, indicating, for example, lighting specification for the performance of particular works. Indeed, Scriabin's interest in color was hardly academic, considering that , as an orchestrator, he exploited the full potential of orchestral color. While Scriabin never quite crossed the threshold to atonality, his music nevertheless replaced the traditional concept of tonality by an intricate system of chords, some of which (e.g., the "mystic chord": C-F sharp-B flat-E-A-D) had an esoteric meaning. Scriabin's gradual move into realms beyond traditional tonality can be clearly heard in his ten piano sonatas; the last five, composed during 1912-1913, are without key signatures and certainly contain atonal moments. In 1915, Scriabin died in of septicemia caused by a carbuncle on his lip. Among his unfinished project was Mysterium, a grandiose religious synthesis of all arts which would herald the birth of a new world.
(AllMusic)
Please take note that the audio AND sheet music ARE NOT mine. Change the quality to a minimum of 480p if the video is blurry.
Original audio: naxosmusiclibrary.com
(Performance by: Michael Ponti)
Original sheet music:
imslp.org/wiki/Waltz_in_G-sha...)
imslp.org/wiki/Waltz_in_D-fla...)
imslp.org/wiki/Valse%2C_Op.1_...)
imslp.org/wiki/Valse%2C_Op.38...)
imslp.org/wiki/Quasi_valse%2C...)

[@verslaflamme8185]

Waltz in G#m 00:14 Waltz in Db 02:52 Waltz in F minor op.1 04:29 Waltz in Ab op.38 07:21 Quasi valse Op. 47 12:10

[@TheodoreServin]

Alexander Scriabin - Waltzes 1. - Waltz in G-sharp minor, Op. posthumous: 0:00 2. - Waltz in D-flat major, Op. posthumous: 2:47 3. - Waltz in F minor, Op. 1: 4:23 4. - Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 38: 7:16 5. - Quasi Valse in F major, Op. 47: 12:05

[@eugenepashch5213]

Interesting to see the stylistic progression of the composer - the later works remind more and more of the "true style of Scriabin".

[@NFStopsnuf]

Following the changes in Scriabin's style through one type of piece (such as Waltzes here) is so interesting to me. Although the changes here are not as drastic as those of his sonatas, the shift away from Chopin's influences toward his own musical motifs is something to notice. Thanks for sharing as always

[@thenameisgsarci]

It's almost like a photo album, I agree with that.

[@brucedavies8154]

I love the latter two waltzes. the quasi valse is peculiar but quite satisfying to play.

[@flonzaley6092]

Thank you for the posting! Some excellent rubato, indeed, and a fine sense of sound.The later Scriabin is there, I believe, in the upflying first Waltz. You have that fleet virtuosity, in double notes too, which is essential for this music. Congratulations!

[@stevehinnenkamp5625]

Of course, these waltzes, owe a debt to Chopin. On paper they appear like Chopin. When you hear them played with such fervor as here, you realize the personality of Scriabin enlarging the Chopin waltzes with darker details of his tormented life experience. All said, the waltzes of Scriabin plunge us into depths and I think Chopin would have marvelled at the marvelous, frightening result.

[@alekpoko2655]

Ну, начиная с ор. 38 - это уже совсем не Шопен

[@benrubin8624]

op 38 is so good

[@user-ze3tx2tb8b]

Loved the second one!

[@mckernan603]

Great compilation! There was apparently also a brilliant waltz for the left hand that he was performing around the time of his New York tour, but he never published or wrote it down that we know of, shame!

[@thenameisgsarci]

Yes, I am quite aware of that now! What a shame indeed! 😭

[@SCRIABINIST]

Yes, apparently he had a sudden bad feeling about it, and swore never to play it again.

[@ValseMelancolique]

Enjoyed the words...

[@LucTaMusic]

0:17 G# minor (1886) 2:52 Db major (1886) 4:29 F minor, op. 1 (1886) 7:21 Ab major, op. 38 (1903) 12:10 F major, op. 47 (1905)

[@chicojcf]

Very nice.

[@fromsuntosun24]

I knew! I was preparing the same set of posth. waltzes but stopped because I bet you'd have done this during your schedule for this month. You are super! Anyway, from your channel they surely will be known by more people than from mine, so.. it's better for Scriabin's Walztes :) best ..

[@thenameisgsarci]

1) Haha, I see, we're thinking the same pieces to work with. 2) Thanks for the words! :D

[@sebastian-benedictflore]

I swear, his waltzes almost always feel more like mazurkas

[@andremsz2249]

Why do you think that?

[@alexanderbayramov2626]

Thank you for posting these works, Michael Ponti is awesome! All preludes compilation when?

[@SCRIABINIST]

That would be great, like a study listening video lmao

[@alexanderbayramov2626]

@@SCRIABINIST it's just a joke, but that would be awesome of course

[@scj6693]

Hey, you listened to my criticism and did something about it. That’s why I like your channel. Other people would have just ignored it or raged, but you did what I asked you to. I’m very thankful :)

[@thenameisgsarci]

I actually didn't listen to you, I just planned this way ahead of time. Enjoy this while it lasts. XD Also, one thing about why I don't do long videos as often anymore, is that, *number one*, I often have mixed feelings about these kinds of videos not getting enough attention and views it deserves (sorry if I sound like an attention whore and an unappreciative twat), and, *number two*, not to mention a bigger disappointment if in case something goes wrong with them (like copyright strikes) because I spent a lot of time making such videos only to get blocked once I uploaded them here (something I learned the hard way at the Fan Requests Tribute way back). I dunno if you understood my train of thought at all (or derailment of thought, for that matter), never mind not get pissed off by my choice of words and such, but if in case you do, I really thank you for opening up your thoughts.

[@thenameisgsarci]

1) Hey, who says you can't be special and not special at the same time? I mean, we all are. XD 2) To be fair, I was quite agitated when I typed that comment down, but trust me when I say that I'm trying not to direct that agitation at you. I don't want any more people here in the channel to be angry back at me more than I already have in real life. But please, no need to apologize for your words -- mainly because it's not gonna be fair for you because I won't apologize for my words either. You only asked and criticized in an honest-to-goodness manner, and I think it's fair that I should do the same. 3) If you think of me that way, then, thanks. Just read the description box, be civil and constructive with your criticisms, and don't ask the usual questions like "who played this", "where can I get the sheet music" etc. (because that's the kind of questions I will definitely not answer to), and we're fine. 4) I swear I'm trying not to be needy despite being a very selfish man. I have accepted the fact that my pride and selfishness will kill me someday, but at the same time keeps me alive, so once again, if you perceive it that way, then, thank you very much.

[@Tizohip]

Very good.

[@maricelaramirezgomez6662]

Why so hurried on waltz in F minor? Porqué tan apresurado el valse en F menor?

[@Jimbarleyy]

The beginning of the waltz in f minor sounds similar to chopins 2nd piano concerto

[@opticalmixing23]

Jim Barley sounds like the thing

[@Varooooooom]

Holy fucking shit, how big were Scriabin’s hands?? This is my first time listening to his pieces.

[@thenameisgsarci]

Checking the Internet, his span reaches up to a 9th.

[@Varooooooom]

thenameisgsarci Does he typically have left hand stretches into the 10ths and 11ths like he does in that first piece?

[@thenameisgsarci]

I think so, if anything, he plays some of the wide chords as arpeggios.

[@alfredcortot4104]

Nikolay ZverEv, not Zverov. :)

[@vcsgoru4353]

Nikolay Zverev not Zverov

[@nilsfrederking62]

Op. 1 is played much too fast in my opinion.

[@GUILLOM]

nah

[@user-pu4kl3um5p]

who writed this？ I’m Japanese i can't speak English well

[@ComposerMori]

スクリャービンというロシアの作曲家です。

[@user-pu4kl3um5p]

Takao Mori あわわ日本人がいらっしゃるなんて……!!物知りですねわざわざありがとうございます😂💓いい曲ですよねほんとにありがとございますた!!!

[@ComposerMori]

スクリャービン、いいですよね。op.42-5 がおすすめです。荒涼としたロシアの大地を駆け抜ける風を連想させます。

[@declamatory]

Good for him - abandoning his wife and children. Great guy!

[@ComtedeMonteC]

You are correct Skryabin did indeed abandon his first wife and children. He married a second time to Tatiana Fyodorovna Schloezer.

[@VanoArts]

well but he was writing her and his child letters like twice a week even telling her what she should teach his child and sending money to his wife all the time he actually had to leave them to do performances and earn money as a musician and composer; he wasnt rich at all

[@firoza8994]

Scriabin is always right!

[@joeycartwright1692]

I hear he also wrote quite a lot of good music