It strikes me that Alexander Scriabin is perhaps the least heard of all acknowledged great composers, partially because, like Chopin, he wrote almost exclusively for the piano (with the notable exception of five orchestral works), and because his musical language evolved so far, so quickly. Most of his hundreds of piano pieces are rarely played.
So laments, much to my agreement, Garrick Ohlsson, who will do right by the great Russian composer at his Dec. 7 San Francisco Performances recital, devoted entirely to Scriabin, which includes early sonatas, selected etudes and preludes. (On March 14, the second concert in the two-part Scriabin program will take place.)
What does Ohlsson think of Scriabin?
When you see Scriabin’s name on a program, you don’t know if you will be ravished by his Chopin-on-steroids late-19th-century Russian manner, his questing, tumultuous middle works, or his almost completely dark and atonal last period, beginning with Enigme, Opus 52 No. 2, his first work to close without ending in the tonic key.Scriabin is not a composer for all seasons or for all people. He is a composer of extremes: delicacy and sensuality; darkness and radiance; agony and ecstasy. You get the idea. His music is extraordinarily difficult to play—it sometimes seems nearly impossible — yet I find studying and playing his works as rewarding and exciting as any. For me, nothing can surpass the visceral thrill of playing the Fifth Sonata. I feel completely taken over by Scriabin’s spirit.
Ohlsson's generous recital presents an even dozen Scriabin pieces, including five sonatas. See Ohlsson's introduction and performance of Desire and Two Pieces.
Another pianist of note, Yuja Wang, is featured in a San Francisco Performances recital preceding Ohlsson on Dec. 1 at Davies Symphony Hall. Her program too is mostly Scriabin (seven pieces), plus Schubert, and Mily Balakirev's Islamey.