Scriabin by James Kreiling

Scriabin by James Kreiling

Scriabin: pianist, thinker, symbolist, radical, romantic, and often misunderstood composer – immerse yourself in his mystical world and develop an informed interpretation of his piano works.

Among pianists, the popularity of a handful of his youthful works – from preludes and etudes to sonatas – contrasts starkly with a general ambivalence, verging on animosity, toward his notorious later style. James Kreiling sets out not only to inform and advise but also to persuade. He illuminates the genius of Scriabin’s highly individual style while focusing on performance and interpretation.

Considering the various piano-roll recordings of Scriabin left to us as well as first-hand accounts from contemporaries, this book pieces together how a late 19th-century approach to rubato and improvisation is inherent in Scriabin’s notation, how notions of Scriabin’s orchestration and synesthesia are pianistic tools, and how all of this can influence performance. Kreiling also contemplates the development of Scriabin as “Thinker.” He looks at how the gradual evolution of his thought to apocalyptic heights – from brushes with theosophy and Russian cosmism to mysticism – was born from growing social and political tensions of the epoch, exploring their musical manifestations such as the “Mystic” chord and musical symbolism.

Scriabin’s music fascinates pianists from amateur to professional, but he can be puzzling to decipherJames Kreiling’s focused, uncluttered book clears away tired old myths, illumines the fundamentals, and indicates how players and listeners can acquire, broaden and deepen their understanding of the music in its symbolist-poetical and radical, forward-striving aspects.

James Kreiling is a British pianist, writer, teacher and transcriber. His debut double CD recording of Scriabin’s complete late piano music was met with great critical acclaim. His doctoral thesis, completed at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, focused on the interaction of research, analysis and performance practice in the interpretation of Scriabin’s late piano sonatas.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9798216375258
Title	Scriabin
Author	James Kreiling
Series	Short Guides To The Piano Repertoire
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Year published	2027-01-07
Number of pages	216
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.