Bernd Glemser’s clear and slightly sober approach to Scriabin’s necromantic idiom will appeal to listeners seeking Vers la flamme plus the Third and Tenth sonatas delivered at lower voltage than Horowitz or Sofronitsky. But Glemser generates more excitement in the early 1889 E-flat minor Sonata (especially in the Presto’s climax), and his sprightly runs in the Poéme-Nocturne are nicely shaded. If you want an inexpensive Scriabin sonata cycle, Vladimir Ashkenazy’s firmer, more scintillating and passionate performances on a Double Decca two-for-one reissue are worth the extra outlay over Naxos’ individual volumes. At full price, Marc-André Hamelin’s cooler, staggeringly accomplished Hyperion traversals boast better sound, and include the aforementioned E-flat minor sonata. All in all, this is a recording that would have garnered more attention during the late-’60s Scriabin boom.
