Alexander Scriabin (1782 - 1915) Russian

       Alexander Scriabin  (Wikipedia article)

       A List of Scriabin's Compositions


Finish bio, describe his music


Who was Alexander Scriabin?

        Alexander Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist.  He was one of the most progressive composers between 1903 and 1915.  His work was highly criticized by many, but  Leo Tolstoy described Scriabin's music as "a sincere expression of genius."  Scriabin had a major impact on the music world over time, and influenced composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev.  


Scriabin's career had three stages:

       1880 - 1903:   Originally Scriabin is a romantic, reminiscent of Chopin.   

       1803 - 1907:   Scriabin begins experimenting with atonality independent of Arnold Schoenberg.

       1907 - 1915:   


Scriabin wrote only piano music except for a small number of orchestra music, the most notable of which are: 

      Le divin poème (The Divine Poem), Symphony No. 3 in C minor   (orchestra)  (1903) 

      Le Poème de l'extase (The Poem of Ecstasy), (Symphony No. 4)  (orchestra)  (1907) 

       Prométhée, Le Poème du feu (Prometheus, The Poem of Fire), (Symphony No. 5) 
                                              (orchestra with piano, organ, clavier à lumières, and chorus)  (1910)



Scriabin died at age 43 in 1915 of an infection.



Selected Music:

      Etude No. 12 in D-sharp minor from "12 Études", Op. 8  (1894)  (2:13)

                 Vladimir Horowitz, piano


      Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op. (1896)

                  Ana Šinkovec Burstin, piano, RTV Slovenia symphony orchestra, Simon Krečič, cond.


      Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor, Op. 19  "Sonata-fantasy"   (1898)   (10:50)

                 Valentina Lisitsa, piano   


      Piano Sonata No. 5, Op. 53  (1907)


      Piano Sonata No.8, Op. 66  (1912 - 1913)  (14:40)

                 Anthony Bonamici, piano


      Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 68  "Black Mass"  (1912 -1913)  (7:45)

                  Yevgeny Sudbin, piano


      Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 70  (1913)  (12:30)

                 Yuja Wang, piano