The Scriabin series is complete

The new Scriabin album was released in September and features Alexander Scriabin's first and fifth symphonies.

Scriabin's music is conducted by chief conductor Vasily Petrenko and the orchestra is joined on the recording by pianist Kirill Gerstein, singers Alisa Kolosova and Alexey Dolgov and Oslo Philharmonic Choir.

The album is released on the Norwegian record label Lawo Classics. 

"Astonishing clarity"

The English music site Presto Classical named the new album "Recording of the Week" on 21st September. 

Katherine Cooper writes:

"Petrenko brings often astonishing clarity to a score which can easily seem overblown (...) Without ever driving the music too hard, he maintains momentum and direction throughout the entire twenty-minute span of this single-movement work (...) the final hair-raising major triad brings this remarkable piece − and equally remarkable cycle − to a fittingly incendiary close."

Read review: Scriabin's First and Fifth Symphonies

Andrew Clements writes in The Guardian:

"... with Kirill Gerstein as the solo pianist, it’s their performance of Prometheus, one of Scriabin’s greatest achievements, that stands out."

Read review: Scriabin review (last part of article)

Michael Cookson writes on the site MusicWeb International:

"There’s a special authority to Petrenko’s conducting, maintaining a robust forward course from the first note to the last, in a work saturated with swirling orchestral colours. (...) In addition, it’s hard not to single out the expanded brass section, particularly the trumpets, who sound magnificent throughout. (...) the entry of the wordless chorus adds a significant layer of atmosphere and colour as the work progresses to the composer’s intended realisation of nirvana."

Read review: Scriabin review on MusicWeb International

Buy CD: Oslo Philharmonic + Petrenko

New reviews will be added to the article.

Hear an excerpt from the recording: