Russian Academy of Music, ENGLISH TRANSCRIPT:
(student Varvara Myagkova performs the entire Sonata)
Dreznin: Very good. Just not to forget, let me point out a wrong note in the bar 165 (A sharp instead of A natural). With A natural it actually sounds a bit like Tchaikovsky! (plays both versions of the chord to the approving laughter of the audience). Now, as my teacher, Professor Boris Berlin would begin his master class, that was such a good student who needs may be just a couple of fine touches to her playing (and then going really hard, changing students approach the piece almost entirely - S.D.)
(addressing the student) Now, you possess necessary qualities to interpret Scriabin - the nerve, the certain enflamed imagination, and the sensitivity. I would like to share my own vision of this Sonata, which is quite different from yours - and maybe, that will make our meeting especially interesting. Your playing is full of Sturm und Drang- it's tense, Scriabin's own definition of this Sonata as a "flight to a Star" is happening in your interpretation with lots of suffering. In my own approach, I take into account Scriabin's love of Nature, his pantheism. He himself once referred to his 10' Sonata: "It's all insects". These are no mystical vibrations, but the voices of Nature. And Nature has no aggression. This music calls for unity with Nature, for the acceptance of Life. Scriabin also used to say, all my music is a dance. And then he added: "Medtner's music is a dance too. But what a boring dance it is!" (laughter in the audience). So unfair to Nikolai Karlovich! So, I'll set you an artistic task and ask to switch to something rather different. ~ l t h o u ~yohu may not play this work my way in the future, something might remain with you. Maybe, it will make more sense to begin with the Prestissimo volando movement and the turn to Andante.
(sits down at the piano) Your timing in this movement is mostly mo compressed. Let's try to go in the opposite direction and expand it. I would not even manage these staccato chords in your tempo Try to add more air in the pauses.
No pedal in the pauses! Nature awakens.. . Now let's return to the Andante to see how it gradually comes back to life. The sun's first shy beams . . .
