Scriabin

So many of the great composers have been somewhat ‘on the edge.’ Here are three excerpts from the Wikipedia article on Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin.

(I love the bit about how he was going to transform the whole world with a multi-media performance in the Himalayas! – under the influence of Madame Blavatsky and Theosophy)

Scriabin stands as one of the most innovative and most controversial of composers. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia said of Scriabin that, “No composer has had more scorn heaped or greater love bestowed…” Leo Tolstoy once described Scriabin’s music as “a sincere expression of genius.”^[2]

In 1909 he returned to Russia permanently, where he continued to compose, working on increasingly grandiose projects. For some time before his death he had planned a multi-media work to be performed in the Himalayas, that would bring about the armageddon, “a grandiose religious synthesis of all arts which would herald the birth of a new world.” ^[5] Scriabin left only sketches for this piece, Mysterium, although they were eventually made into a performable version by Alexander Nemtin.^[6] The Mysterium was, psychologically speaking, a world Scriabin’s genius created to sustain its own evolution.^[7]

Horowitz performed for Scriabin, in his home as an 11 year old child, and Scriabin had an enthusiastic reaction, but cautioned that he needed further training.^[11] As an elderly man, Horowitz remarked that Scriabin was obviously crazy, because he had tics and could not sit still.^[11]

Tics and all … what beauty he created! It’s easy to see why he is favoured in the repetoire of many of the piano masters.

Piano Sonata no. 3 Op. 24 / Andante:  *** The very last few seconds are cut. Strange! … every source I tried had this cut off ending.*** What a beautiful piece.

scriabin-05-piano-sonata-no-3-in-f-sharp-minor-op-24-03-andante

Scriabin etude no 11

Scriabin prelude 3 opus 17