Scriabin: Mazurkas, Opp. 3, 25 & 40

Unsurprisingly for a virtuoso pianist, the majority of Scriabin’s works are for the piano. As with his other early pieces for the instrument, the Mazurkas betray a profound love for the music of Chopin – a love which was to last until Scriabin’s self-adulation finally displaced all else. Although Chopin’s presence is pervasive, Scriabin imbues the genre with a Russian flavour and his unique brand of harmonic innovation is formulating even in the Op. 3 set. By the time of the two brief works which form Op.

Our rating

5

Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:13 pm

COMPOSERS: Scriabin
LABELS: Nimbus
WORKS: Mazurkas, Opp. 3, 25 & 40
PERFORMER: Marta Deyanova (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: NI 5446 DDD

Unsurprisingly for a virtuoso pianist, the majority of Scriabin’s works are for the piano. As with his other early pieces for the instrument, the Mazurkas betray a profound love for the music of Chopin – a love which was to last until Scriabin’s self-adulation finally displaced all else. Although Chopin’s presence is pervasive, Scriabin imbues the genre with a Russian flavour and his unique brand of harmonic innovation is formulating even in the Op. 3 set. By the time of the two brief works which form Op. 40, any signs of virtuosic bravura had disappeared and Scriabin was on the brink of the complete introversion which was to produce the visionary works of his compositional maturity.

The capricious pianism of Marta Deyanova is eminently suited to this repertoire. She performs with a wilful freedom and individualism which both surprises and delights. It is true that Deyanova’s whims can cause a few raised eyebrows, but there is always a formidable sense of heart and mind working in complete harmony. Unafraid of courting danger, she conveys the feeling of a live, and living, performance. Not a disc for those who like exact renditions of the score, but otherwise strongly recommended. Christopher Dingle

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