Dan Luong 250649264

Mysticism in the Later Works of Alexander Scriabin

Dan Luong 250649264 dluong4@uwo.ca Course: 2711G Instructor: Dr. E.A. Ansari Teaching Assistant: Nadia Mazzarolo Date: March 28, 2013

Mysticism in the Later Works of Alexander Scriabin

Scriabin's personality and philosophical views influenced and accelerated his musical development. His egotistic personality and preoccupation with mysticism played an important role in the development of his own musical language. If one were to aurally compare Scriabin's earlier work to his mature works, they may find it

Dan Luong 250649264 difficult to hear correlation between the two. The difference between his compositional output in his early and late career also supports the difference in musical style. While his early works show major influences from Frederic Chopin, his later work shows a personal musical language. On a surface level, the major difference between his early and late composition is mainly his choice of musical genre. Scriabin leans towards programmatic music near the end of his life, while his earlier works are more reminiscent of Chopin's. For example, Scriabin's Op. 11, a set of 24 preludes for piano, show strong resemblances to Chopin's Op. 28. The structure and organization of the sets are identical. Both comprises of preludes in 24 different keys and are in identical arrangements. The content of each Scriabin preludes are also similar to the Chopin preludes. The musical forms are in either binary or ternary form, forms in which his predecessors frequently uses. Although there are many parallels between the two sets, Scriabin's own artistic voice is already present. While these preludes are written in traditional musical forms and functional harmony, Scriabin's originality is evident through the use of unconventional time signatures and augmented chords. A good example of this can be seen in his prelude no. 14 and no. 11. In contrast to his early works, his late works are more experimental and original. A good example of his mature style is the last completed orchestral work, Prometheus: The Poem of Fire, Op. 60. The title alone has strong implications of extra musical ideas. During this time, Scriabin is strongly influenced by theosophy and mysticism, which is evident in this symphony. Even the cover design of the music copies is drawn by the leader of the theosophist cult in Brussels, Monsieur Jean Delville.1 Musically, Scriabin uses a synthetic chord known as the mystic chord or Prometheus chord. This chord comprises of six pitch classes C, F#, Bb, E, A, D. The mystic chord would then appear in subsequent works which marks the abandonment of tonal harmony in his music.2 The instrumentation in this orchestral work is also unique, with the addition of the Tastiera per Luce, a
1. A. Eaglefield Hull. A great Russian tone-poet: Scriabin. (New York: AMS Press, 1970), 193. 2. Hugh Macdonald. Skryabin. (London: Oxford University Press, 1978), 54.

Dan Luong 250649264 keyboard of coloured light rays.3 Although the use of this instrument is optional, it is clear that Scriabin's view of music is no longer just an aural experience but a visual one as well. Although only written a decade after, the difference between Prometheus and the First Symphony is so stark that Hugh Macdonald would remark, they are scarcely recognizable as the work of the same composer.4 In order to understand why Scriabin's stylistic development was so unusually fast, one must understand his character and his thought process. Boris de Schloezer describes Scriabin as highly intellectual but the characteristics that best aided him in his unusually fast development was his stubbornness and egotism. His egotism was evident in the fact that Scriabin considered his own birth, which happened to be on Christmas Day of the old style (6 of January 1872) as a significant event.5 As a result, he assumed the role of a messiah. This messianic role was to help humanity achieve absolute unity. Although not visibly clear in his earlier works, it was evident that Scriabin intended the unfinished Mysterium to be the work that would have helped achieve this unity.6 His stubbornness allowed him to work toward this particular goal even if it seemed unrealistic. This metaphysical passion, if one may so describe it, possessed him to the very end of his life.7 (55 schloezer) It is possible then that his strong desire to achieve this goal allowed him to find new means of expression in his music. Since he had exhausted the use of traditional musical forms and functional harmony, he invented his own musical language in order to express himself better. Not only did his stubbornness provide him with right determination, it also played a role in keeping him focused. He often conveniently filtered out any historical events, ideas, or even people that would have prevented him from realizing his goals. 3. Hull, A great Russian tone-poet, 195. 4. Macdonald, Skryabin, 55.
5. Macdonald, Skryabin, 8. 6. Boris de Schloezer. Scriabin: artist and mystic. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987), 66-67. 7 Schloezer, Scriabin, 55.

Dan Luong 250649264 Scriabin could admire only such writings as were in harmony with his own mode of thinking... But he could not follow the reasoning of authors who were ideologically antagonistic to him; he simply put their books aside after reading a few pages. I have very little time and I cannot afford to divide my attention.8 While Scriabin's ego provided him with a purpose, his stubbornness acted as a mental filter and allowed him to work towards his goal with little interference from his surroundings. The musical development was then a result of his strong desire to fulfil his goals and his unwavering determination to achieve those goals. Along with his personality, his philosophical views played an important role in his musical development. Scriabin was a progressive thinker and the idea of unification on Earth was not influenced by his surrounding.9 It was a coincidence that Scriabin learned about theosophy, which had much in common with his vision of Mysterium. Scriabin's acquaintance with theosophy in 1906 however, did act as a catalyst for his musical development. Much like how he filters out ideas to his own convenience, he interpreted works by theosophists to his convenience as well.10 Theosophy writings by Mme. Balavatsky and Annie Besant were of significance to Scriabin while the works of their followers were dismissed. As his association with theosophy grew, so did the mysticism within his music. Since Scriabin believed that the production of Mysterium would lead to cosmic collapse and universal death,11 it is safe to believe that Scriabin intended it to be his final work. The fact that it was left incomplete for 13 years since 1902 up until his death in 1915, shows his constant struggle to improve his artistic ability. Since the completion of this work also represents the end of his musical development, Scriabin must be content with his artistry before he finishes the work. His lack of
8 9 10 11 Schloezer, Scriabin, 71. Schloezer, Scriabin, 56. Schloezer, Scriabin, 67. Schloezer, Scriabin, 117.

Dan Luong 250649264 contentment and his desire to complete the Mysterium became the driving force to his musical development. These developments include a series of mystico-musical symbols that Scriabin developed. The descending leap of the minor ninth interval signified to him the descent of spirit into matter. The alternating whole tone step up and down suggested the breathing in and out of Brahma, the Creator of the World and the god who first issued from the Brahman. A descending half-step embodied human sorrow.12 Scriabin's views became increasingly conceited and deluded that he could only confide his ideas in his secret notebook.13 As a result, music became an outlet for him to express his mystical ideals. His fast musical development then was a result of his growing need to express his mystical ideas.

Bibliography

Baker, James M.. The music of Alexander Scriabin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986. Bowers, Faubion. The new Scriabin; enigma and answers.. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1973. Bruhn, Siglind. Voicing the ineffable: musical representations of religious experience. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2002. Dasilva, Fabio B., and David L. Brunsma. All music: essays on the hermeneutics of music. Aldershot
12 Faubion Bowers. The new Scriabin; enigma and answers. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1973), 111. 13 Bowers. The new Scriabin, 115.

Dan Luong 250649264 England: Avebury, 1996. Hull, A. Eaglefield. A great Russian tone-poet: Scriabin. New York: AMS Press, 1970. Macdonald, Hugh. Skryabin. London: Oxford University Press, 1978. Schloezer, Boris de, Marina Scriabine, and Nicolas Slonimsky. Scriabin: artist and mystic. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987.