Top 100 Composers: Alexander Scriabin
I probably 1st read about Scriabin when I was about 18. I vaguely recall a drawing depicting him at a keyboard that was some sort of light organ that would project colored light that was different for each key when a key was depressed. There would've been some accompanying text about Scriabin's theory about this. Again, as I vaguely recall, I think this was presented as Scriabin's vision, as something that he was unable to technically achieve in his lifetime. This would've intrigued me.
I was 18 from 1971 to 1972. I probably encounted the above in the summer of 1972. By that point, of course, there would've been psychedelic light shows. I don't recall whether I ever witnessed one in that era. I might have at a Jefferson Airplane show a couple of years before.
Scriabin's vision would've been different from the shows of the psychedelic rock bands. He probably had a more specific color theory that was related to pitch & harmony.
Given that I'm both a moviemaker & a (m)usician/d-composer, I've given many 'performances' that combine live sound & projection. As with Scriabin, & unlike almost every pop & rock act, my projections are meaningful & calculated - they're not just gratuitous visual filler to keep the (v)audience distracted with eye-candy.
Some varied examples of what I'm talking about are:
"Sound Along w/ t he Bounding Ball(s)": http://youtu.be/pGyS0t7vEQ0
"Our": http://youtu.be/u4nZGBPPOyM
"Multiple Projections 1978-2009": https://youtu.be/6smYCjQPuXM
"Harps & Angles": http://youtu.be/Qk_UOY0c1bk
"Sonluminous Premier": https://youtu.be/nAnnNd4qyxY
"A Catamaran Animist Vigor" at Babyland: http://youtu.be/cn3U055X-2U
""EL" IP": https://youtu.be/fiAVrCNtKvQ
These all represent different ideas & approaches & none of them are intended to realize or imitate Scriabin's vision. Nonetheless, I consider them to be somewhat in a lineage that he's a forefather of.
There is an online version of Scriabin's "Prometheus: Poem of Fire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3B7uQ5K0IU&spfreload=1
that finally realizes Scriabin's vision & about wch it's written that:
"In February 2010, Anna Gawboy, a doctoral candidate at the Yale School of Music and scholar of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, attempted to realize the composer's final work: a symphony of sound and light called "Prometheus: Poem of Fire". To accomplish this, Anna worked closely with Toshiyuki Shimada, conductor of the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and Justin Townsend, an award-winning lighting designer.
"Anna and Justin spent a year developing ideas and preparing for the performance, but a majority of the lighting work was done just days before the concert. This documentary covers the events of that week and the performance itself."
Bravo!!
According to my "Record Collection" list that I've beeen keeping since I was 13, I didn't get a Scriabin record until I got the Everest orchestral "Poem of Ecstasy" in 1985. It didn't do much for me. It wasn't until I finally got records of Ruth Laredo playing his piano music in 2007 that I was deeeply impressed. Here was passionate music.
Now, in honor of making this web-page, I've compiled a 7 volume tape retrospective of the recordings of his work that I have in my collection. I was previously under the impression that I loved Ruth Laredo's performances above all else but listening to Yakov Kasman I've discovered that I love his playing probably just as much. I have some of the Laredo records duplicated but I've kept them largely for the stunning pictures of her.
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 1 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
01. "Etude in C sharp minor" Op. 2, No. 1 - 1887-9 - 3:06 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
02. "Sonata No. 1 in F minor" Op. 6 - 1893 - 20:46 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
03. "Sonata 1" Op. 6 - 24:22 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
See the notation for this one below.
04. "Sonata No. 2, "Sonata-Fantasy", in G sharp minor" Op. 19 - 1892-7 - 11:02 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 2 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
05. "Sonata 2" Op. 19 - 12:18 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
06. "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F sharp minor" Op. 20 - 1896 - 27:12 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Anatol Ugorski: piano - Deutsche Grammophon CD 289 459 647-2
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
07. "Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor" Op. 23 - 1898 - 19:11 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
08. "Sonata 3" Op. 23 - 20:23 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 3 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
09. "Symphony No. 1" Op. 26 - 1902 - 41:44 - Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt - Philips Boxset LPs
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
10. "Symphony No. 2" Op. 29 - 1902 - 47:23 - Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt - Philips Boxset LPs
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 4 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
11. "Sonata No. 4 in F sharp major" Op. 30 - 1903 - 7:57 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
12. "Sonata 4" Op. 30 - 9:28 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
13. "8 Etudes" Op. 42 - 1903 - 13:27 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
14. "Symphony No. 3 "The Divine Poem"" Op. 43 - 1903 - 45:30 - Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt - Philips Boxset LPs
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 5 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
15. "Sonata No. 5, "Poem of Ecstasy", in F sharp major" Op. 53 - 1907 - 10:39 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
16. "Le Poème de l'extase" Op. 54 - 1907 - Houston Symphony Orchestra - Everest LPBR-6032
17. "Sonata 5" Op. 53 - 14:20 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
18. "Le Poème de l'extase" Op. 54 - 18:19 - Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt - Philips Boxset LPs
19. "Désir" Op. 57, No. 1, "Caress Dansée" Op. 57, No. 2 - 1907 - 2:50 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
20. "Prométhée, Le Poème du feu" op. 60 - 18:50 - Radio-Sinfonie Orchester Frankfurt - Philips Boxset LPs
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 6 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
21. "Le Poème de l'extase" Op. 54 - 21:59 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Deutsche Grammophon CD 289 459 647-2
22. "Prométhée, Le Poème du feu" op. 60 - 1910 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Chorus - 22:44 - Deutsche Grammophon CD 289 459 647-2
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
23. "Sonata No. 6" Op. 62 - 1911-12 - 13:06 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
24. "Sonata 6" Op. 62 - 13:24 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
25. "Sonata No. 7, "White Mass"" Op. 64 - 1911-12 - 11:24 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
Alexander Scriabin Retrospective: Volume 7 of 7:
Side 1 of a 90 minute tape:
26. "Sonata 7. "La Messe Blanche"" Op. 64 - 12:31- "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
27. "Sonata No. 8" Op. 66 - 1912-13 - 14:34 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
28. "Sonata 8" Op. 66 - 14:57 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
29. "Sonata No. 9, "Black Mass"" Op. 68 - 1912-13 - 7:20 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
30. "Sonata 9. "La Messe Noire"" Op. 68 - 8:27 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
See the notation for this one below!!
Side 2 of a 90 minute tape:
31. "Sonata No. 10"" Op. 70 - 1912-13 - 13:27 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1
32. "Sonata 10" Op. 70 - 13:14 - "The Complete Sonatas" played by Yakov Kasman - Phaia Music 3xCD
33. "Vers La Flamme" Op. 72 - 1914 - 4:30 - "The Complete Piano Sonatas" played by Ruth Laredo - Nonesuch Boxset 73035-1 - a movie of my friend Franz Kamin performing this is on my onesownthoughts YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/Vf1CLt_68F8
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