Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

Hyperion offers both CDs, and downloads in a number of formats. The site is also available in several languages.

Please use the dropdown buttons to set your preferred options, or use the checkbox to accept the defaults.

Click cover art to view larger version
Track(s) taken from CDA67057/8

Quatre préludes, Op 39

composer
1903

Piers Lane (piano)
Recording details: June 2000
Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Amanda Hurton
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
Release date: February 2001
Total duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds

Cover artwork: Halos (1894) by Louis Welden Hawkins (1849-1910)
 

Reviews

‘Everything about this two-disc set is ideal. Few pianists could show more sympathy and affection for such volatile romanticism, or display greater stylistic consistency. This new set of the Preludes should be in any serious record collection’ (Gramophone)

‘Lane certainly knows how to tease out the music's textural subtleties; his emotional commitment is undeniable, as is his grasp of the poetic/virtuosic dichotomy inherent in Scriabin's music’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Lane is the perfect guide to Scriabin’s shimmering miniature masterpieces’ (The Independent)

‘To find contemporary performances that convey … aspects of the music more vividly and with greater sympathy, as well as with a good deal more technical refinement, one need look no further than Piers Lane’s recent traversal’ (International Record Review)

‘Lane's technical brilliance and assurance captures the most elusive qualities of this music, as one dream-vision dissolves into another … [his] control and balance of their veiled sonorities is wonder-filled’ (The Times)

‘Piers Lane is easily the master of all this … you get the sense this music is in his blood. The preludes have been well worth waiting for’ (Amazon.co.uk)

‘Lane's flawless finger and inspired brain are totally attuned to Scriabin's hyper-expressive sound world. Gorgeous, flattering sonics help elevate this recording to reference version status among complete Scriabin cycles. Bravo!’ (Classics Today)
The four preludes of Op 39 open with a strong harmonic flavour of the ‘Divine Poem’, but there is a suspicion here that Scriabin is applying his harmonic innovations to a familiar musical content. Not so with the startling twists, turns and mood shifts of No 2, truly improvisatory in manner. The mysterious languor of No 3 rests partly on Scriabin’s favourite three-against-five cross-rhythm. In No 4 the harmonic progression is enigmatic, elliptical, labyrinthine, like a sentence in very late Henry James.

from notes by Simon Nicholls © 2001

Les quatre préludes de l’opus 39 inaugurent une couleur harmonique fortement teintée de celle du «divin poème». On pourrait supputer que Scriabine ait choisi d’appliquer ses innovations harmoniques à une structure musicale familière. Tel n’est pas le cas du no2 avec ses sautes d’humeur, ses changements de tournures et ses virevoltes époustouflantes. La langueur mystérieuse du no3 est en partie due au rythme préféré de Scriabine, des superpositions rythmiques de triolets sur des quintolets. Dans le no4, la progression harmonique demeure énigmatique, elliptique, labyrinthique, à la manière d’une phrase de l’ultime période d’Henry James.

extrait des notes rédigées par Simon Nicholls © 2001
Français: Isabelle Battioni

Die vier Préludes von op. 39 beginnen mit einem starken harmonischen Anklang an das „divin Poème“, doch kommt hier der Verdacht auf, daß Skrjabin seine harmonischen Neuerungen auf einen vertrauten musikalischen Inhalt anwendet. Nicht jedoch im Falle der verblüffenden Drehungen und Windungen und Stimmungswechsel von Nr. 2, das von der Art her wahrhaft improvisatorisch ist. Die geheimnisvolle Trägheit von Nr. 3 ist zum Teil auf den von Skrjabin bevorzugten Gegenrhythmus drei gegen fünf zurückzuführen. In Nr. 4 ist die Klangfortschreitung rätselhaft, elliptisch, labyrinthisch – wie ein Satz im Spätwerk des Schriftstellers Henry James.

aus dem Begleittext von Simon Nicholls © 2001
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

Other albums featuring this work

Scriabin: The Complete Préludes, Vol. 2
CDH55451
Waiting for content to load...
Waiting for content to load...