Alexander Melnikov, Scriabin

4 / 5 stars
The young Russian pianist adopts the mindset of an old master

One of the most technically accomplished young pianists, Moscow-born Melnikov grabbles here with the difficult task of getting into the mindset of Alexander Scriabin. Like his contemporary Satie, Scriabin was a mystic eccentric and there's an otherworldly intensity about his piano music. A synaesthete who saw colours when others just heard notes, he believed the new era was to be heralded by his never-completed Mysterium. Melnikov has a deft touch, capturing Scriabin's evocative music, written at a mid-point between Impressionism and modernity.