Alexander Scriabin
Jordan Holley
Alexander Scriabin was born on December 25, 1871 in Moscow. His mother
died when he was only a year old. After this tragedy, he was raised by his aunt. She
exposed Scriabin to piano at a very early age. She eventually became his first piano
teacher. In 1882, at 11 years old, he joined a military academy in Moscow. Around
this time, he became more interested in music and was noticed by fellow students
and teachers. From 1884-1885, Scriabin and Sergei Rachmaninoff took piano
lessons with Nicolai Zverev. In 1886, Scriabin attended the Moscow Conservatory
and studied with Vassily Safonov in piano and with Sergei Taneyev in music theory.
Scriabin and Rachmaninoff took a composition class taught by Anton Arensky.
Scriabin’s works were influenced by diverse aesthetic, philosophical, and
mystical doctrines, which projected him toward an artistic vision of grandiosity. His
early works, such as his preludes, mazurkas, and etudes, were modeled after Liszt
and Chopin. His later works, after 1908, broke away from conventional techniques
and adopted atonal techniques.
His most famous works were a piano concerto, five symphonies, two of these
being The Poem of Ecstasy and Prometheus: The Poem of Fire. He also wrote many
pieces for piano, most notably the Piano Sonata No. 5. He suddenly died on April 14,
1915 from an untreated infection under his famous mustache. After his death, Sergei
Rachmaninoff played recital programmed with all Scriabin works. He had a work
planned, Mysterium, that was going to be performed in India end the human race.
Scriabin said, “There will not be a single spectator. All will be participants.
The work requires special people, special artists, and a completely new culture. The
cast of performers includes an orchestra, a large mixed choir, an instrument with
visual effects, dancers, a procession, incense, and rhythmic textural articulation. The
cathedral in which it will take place will not be of one single type of stone but will
continually change with the atmosphere and motion of the Mysterium. This will be
done with the aid of mists and lights, which will modify the architectural contours.”
Luckily, Mysterium was never finished or performed.
His most transitional piece from early to later compositions is his Piano
Sonata No. 5 which was written in 1907. Similar to his other piano sonatas, the form
does not follow the fast-slow-fast form. The first ten bars of this work are aggressive
and intense which builds until the sound falls away. He begins the exposition with
quiet chords with melodies on top. This particular section is comparable to Chopin.
This exposition is nearly one hundred and sixty measures and the development is
identical. The recapitulation and coda are roughly sixty measures in length and are,
for the most part, conventional in their construction.
In 1908, Scriabin made his transition to atonal compositions. Atonal music is
described as having no tonal center and being dissonant. He used two forms of
dissonance in his music: the octatonic scale and the mystic chord. The octatonic
scale is written starting with alternating half and whole steps or whole and half
steps. There are four possible permutations of the octatonic scale. The scale can
start on either C or C# and follow either half/whole steps or whole/half steps. With
the octatonic scale, Scriabin would not use the entire scale. Sometimes, he would
leave out notes and rearrange the existing notes to disguise the scale.
Scriabin’s most popular and the more widely used technique is the mystic
chord. The mystic chord is “based on a hexatonal irregular scale differing
fundamentally from the classical diatonic scale both structurally and in the manner
of employment. None of its six component tones assumes the function of the tonic;
there is no hierarchy or attractive force among them. The concept of the scale is
fused with that of the chord, and this chord, embracing the entire scale, appears
perfectly stable, reposing upon itself without requiring resolution. It synthesizes
and summarizes the scale. From this standpoint any transposition of the chord is
equivalent to a freely effected modulation. The music moves as a concatenation of
chords, disregarding any preconceived rules (within the limits of the mode) and
ignoring what is described as tonal logic.”
The chord can be spelled out as C-D-E-F#-A-Bb and be seen as a “whole-tone
dominant chord suspended over the tonic root.” Rachmaninoff once asked Scriabin,
“What are you using here?” Scriabin replied, “The chord of the pleroma.” This
answer was typical of Scriabin because the pleroma is the total encompassing of
divine powers and Scriabin believed he was divine. He was fascinated with being in
control and “being” God.
In Scriabin’s Prometheus: The Poem of Fire, he uses the mystic chord as the
initial chord. It is spelled C-F#-Bb-E-A-D. In a scale, it would appear C-D-E-F#-G-ABb. In his later works, he added the seventh degree, G, which expanded the chord to
C-F#-Bb-E-A-D-G. The chord becomes a mode as C-D-E-F#-G-A-Bb which Scriabin
would later use in his Piano Sonatas.
Scriabin had a special condition known as synesthesia or “colored hearing”.
Synesthesia is receiving a color sensation or feeling from hearing certain notes or
sounds. He would devise a color wheel that was based on the circle of fifths as seen
in Figure 1.1. Each note had a specific color that it corresponded to: C-red, G-orange,
D-yellow, A-green, E-sky blue, B-blue, F#-bright blue, C#-violet, G#-lilac, D#-flesh,
A#-rose, F-deep red. He wanted to create an instrument that would produce these
colors when played so he could bring sight into the auditory sense. He created the
clavier à lumières, which translates to “keyboard with lights.” He had this instrument
specifically created for Prometheus: The Poem of Fire. The keyboard, when played,
would project colors on a screen behind the orchestra. This would enhance the
senses and help the audience envision the cosmos.
Figure 1.1 Scriabin’s Color Wheel for Prometheus
Prometheus was premiered, without the clavier à lumières, in Moscow on
March 2, 1911. Scriabin was the piano soloist and Serge Koussevitsky was the
conductor. The entire work was to depict nothing less than the development of
human consciousness, from primordial formlessness through man’s emerging selfawareness to a final ecstatic union with the cosmos.” Scriabin used Greek mythology
as an inspiration and wanted to portray Prometheus’ fire and energy. He envisioned
the work as a “symphony of color rays.” Scriabin never lived to see Prometheus
performed with the clavier à lumières. Recently, there have been many attempts to
make his idea come to life.
Prometheus was Scriabin’s last orchestral piece written. The title comes from
Greek history. “According to the teaching of theosophy, the nascent races of
mankind, not yet illuminated by the Promethean spark, were physically incomplete,
possessing only the shadows of bodies; sinless, because devoid of conscious
personality- in theosophical terms, ‘without Karma.’ From this condition they were
liberated by the gift of Prometheus- the fire which awakened man’s conscious
creative power.”(Newmarch)
It was scored for a very large orchestra (three flutes, piccolo, three oboes,
English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, 3 bassoons, contrabassoon, eight horns,
five trumpets, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel (two players), chimes, cymbals, tam-tam,
triangle, bass drum, clavier à lumières, two harps, celesta, piano solo, organ, strings,
and an optional chorus. Even though it features the piano player, it is not a concerto
(similar to Messiaen’s Oiseaux Exotiques). The piano part is meant to signify the
“Microcosm man in contrast to the Macrocosm of the Cosmic Idea represented by
the orchestra.”(Newmarch)
In the score, Scriabin wrote details and instructions for the players;
‘voluptuous, almost with pain, with delight, with intense desire, with emotion and
rapture, with restrained terror, defiantly, stormy, with radiant brilliance, piercing
like a scream, suddenly very sweet, victorious, with blinding brilliance, in a whirl.’
These are not musical terms, but they can be brought out within the orchestra when
played correctly.
Prometheus is Scriabin’s most advanced and mature effort to embody his
particular ideology in musical terms. Scriabin’s harmonies in Prometheus are based
around the mystic chord. Scriabin described the mystic chord as self sufficient and
consonant, because when all the notes of the chord are struck at once, the chord
‘consonates.’ He was also very fond of using the ninth as a chord and raising or
augmenting the fifth.
The form of Prometheus is, for the most part, sonata form. The manner in
which it is treated is quite free. The opening is marked Lento, slow. The texture is
described as being ‘nebulous’ while the mystic chord “floats” in the air. At this point,
the clavier à lumières would be showing a lilac color projected on the screen.
“Sustained tremolos for strings, long drawn notes for woodwinds, and the roll of
drums suggest the immaterial, shadowy condition of primitive
humanity.”(Newmarch) After this moment, Scriabin describes the feeling as ‘void
and without form’ while the horns are playing ‘calm and contemplative.’
Chaos ensues and continues with a primordial force until trumpets call out
with a solo motive of creative will. This does not last for long. Scriabin has the dark
and shadowy texture arrive once again but with increasing energy and intense
emotion. The flute and horn now play the ‘contemplative’ motive, which is quickly
given to the piano. The process of awakening has begun while the piano plays a
triplet figure to express joy and happiness. At this moment in the piece, man has
become more self-conscious. Soon after this awakening, man becomes restless and
wants to feel and be more alive.
The piano adds to the sense of becoming more alive and transitions to the
“growing development of body and soul. Human love and desire follow in the wake
of the gift of Manas (the Promethean spark). Joy is soon mingled with pain, for the
conflict between the physical and the spiritual starts almost at once.”(Newmarch)
Leonid Sabaneyev describes this moment as “delight in the procreative act, magical
action, enchantment, hypnotic and at the same time, vehement with mystical
passion.”(Bowers) A new feeling of erotic moods, such as ‘delight’ and ‘intense
desire’ arise. This motive is passed around the orchestra between the woodwinds
and strings while the timpani and bass drum communicate with each other with a
muffled sound.
Violin enters with a sweet and subtle motive, but the sharp and menacing
brass intrudes. Piano then interrupts with a motive of ‘rapturous emotion.’ At this
moment, man has found something strangely fascinating that appeals to him. The
creative will theme returns to evoke a new emotion. “This mood is submerged in a
section headed ‘defiant, bellicose, stormy.’”(Newmarch)
There is a sadness or uneasy feeling coming from man. This section is played
with a feeling of ‘piercing as a cry.’ Once again, the creative will theme returns, but
this time in an augmented state. The erotic moods theme returns as well, but is now
the predominant to the next idea. The theme of joy returns as well to compliment
these returning themes. The music becomes more joyous and exciting than it has
ever been. This point is one of the climaxes of the piece. “From this point onward we
are met by a series of emotional waves, of no great volumes of sound, but apparently
intended to give an impression of intense effulgence and quivering
light.”(Newmarch)
The mood intensifies and switches to Prestissimo and arrives at a dance-like
theme. This theme has a duple over triple feel and arrives at the climax (literally and
figuratively). “At the climax (that word is used advisedly), an optional chorus enters
singing only vowel sounds; the clavier à lumières generates an overpowering
radiance, and the orchestra rushes Prometheus to its orgiastic fulfillment on a
harmonically unambiguous (and very loud) F-sharp-major chord.” (Los Angeles
Philharmonic) With this ending, the story of man becoming full of wisdom and selfrealization is complete.
Prometheus: The Poem of Fire can be directly compared to Scriabin’s The
Poem of Ecstasy. In The Poem of Ecstasy, Scriabin places himself in the place of man,
to a certain point. He wanted to compose a piece that would capture all of the
emotions that are involved with ecstasy, along with love and art. There is a sacred
orgy that alludes to his and the glory of his art. The man in Prometheus is finding
himself and enjoying life and all of the pleasures that he encounters along the way.
In The Poem of Ecstasy, Scriabin puts himself in a similar idea, but focuses
primarily on art, and more importantly, love. There are many love themes that occur
and exactly like Prometheus, Scriabin ends the piece with a climax, but it suddenly
dies away. There is a restless feeling, and a slow build until the final climax that
ultimately ends the piece.
Also like Prometheus, Scriabin ends the work with a strong major chord, this
time a C major chord. “That which is frightened is now pleasure. And the bite of
panther or hyena is a new caress. Another. And the serpent’s sting is but a burning
kiss. And the universe resounds with joyful cry. I am!” (Scriabin-Poem of Ecstasy)
Again, just like Prometheus, The Poem of Ecstasy is written in sonata form, but
more free. Scriabin also includes, as well, descriptions of tempo markings so the
conductor can feel the music more directly.
Scriabin always thought he was God, by even saying, “I am God.” He suddenly
died on April 14, 1915 in Moscow from an infection under his moustache. There is
some irony in the fact that he was born on Christmas day and died around Easter.
Scriabin might have been “crazy” or “out there”, but his symphonic works
were monumental to say the least. His ideas were and are creative and inspiring to
composers and performers.
Baker, James M. The Music of Alexander Scriabin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1986. Print.
Bowers, Faubion. Scriabin: a Biography of the Russian composer, 1871-1915.
Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1969. Print.
Los Angeles Phlharmonic program notes.
Newmarch, Rosa. Prometheus: The Poem of Fire. The Musical Times, Vol. 55, No. 854
Schloezer, Boris De, Marina Scriabine, and Nicolas Slonimsky. Scriabin: Artist and
Mystic. Berkeley: University of California, 1987. Print.
Wright, Craig M., and Bryan R. Simms. Music in Western Civilization. Belmont, CA:
Thomson/Schirmer, 2006. Print.