Scriabin's most recorded work

The main symbolist-composer of Russian music, Alexander Scriabin has been distinguished for his inimitable music style fostered by composer’s adherence to synesthesia, mysticism and theosophy. Sadly, his impact on Russian and world classical music was not properly acknowledged during his lifetime. The famous sonatas had just a few recordings, which, however, changed by our time. Today Scriabin’s sonatas serve as a guideline for professional composers, learning sample for beginning musicians and a source of joy for the general public.

Probably the most innovative of all Scriabin’s sonatas is “Sonata No. 5” which was the 1st one to be composed in one movement. That’s the form Alexander stuck to in future works. The unusual manner of composition might be attributable to the event there were going on in composer’s life. He finally decided to move from Paris to a ‘purer’ area and it gave him more freedom and inspiration for work. The sonata actually took just 6 days to write, and the music milieu accepted it with envy and admiration at the same time. The work enjoyed so much approval that became Scriabin’s most recorded piece.

Fantastic Symphony from Berlioz’ life

Not like many classical composers that are widely praised today, Hector Berlioz was not a born music prodigy who would start composing as early as 6 years old. On the contrary, he just turned out to be a diligent student who would pounce on music books to build a steady theory basis in his head. A simple human, he was full of worries, joy, anxiety, anger and other human emotions that were of course reflected in his creative work. They say that out of all existing emotions love is probably the strongest one and the most powerful. So was it for Hector. Today his “Symphonie fantastique” is in the very forefront of his entire repertoire, and is apparently an outstanding music work not only because of its innovations in the programmatic symphonies form but mostly because of its vigorous send to the listener. The piece has five movements instead of the common four and depicts various scenes from the life of an artist who desperately fell in love and was left without mutuality. Hope, love, despair, death, witches’ Sabbath, joy, magic – all mixed in this masterpiece. The real love story, however, even though without the fairy-tale touch, was even more dramatic and unfortunately ended sadly: Berlioz’ passion Harriet Smithson reciprocated his feelings only after a few years of his fruitless efforts but their marriage broke shortly. 

Satie’s challenging Vexations

Some music pieces written by great composers in fact were not meant to be published during their lifetime. They had been composed either as a personal experiment or as a private gift to someone, not for public display. But the reputation of a good composer, even if appeared after his/her death, can’t leave anything undiscovered in the author’s manuscripts. For example, the controversial work “Vexations” by Eric Satie also belongs to not-to-be-published pieces. But look at what’s happening now: the longest piece in history (instructed to be repeated 840 times by Satie) has gathered a global community of musicians. In order to execute the ‘instruction’ musicians would have to spend over 18 hours playing non-stop. The first one to take the challenge 80 years after Satie’s death was John Cage. The piece was performed in Manhattan. The New York Times critic fell asleep by the end of it and there were only 6 people left out of the big original crowd of listeners.

Webber's Paranoia

Andrew Lloyd Webber is a very interesting person and a unique composer. He is so considerate and careful about his music that at times his fear of being blamed for the lack of originality may even get paranoid. He is known to have been permanently asking the restaurant staff to turn off the background. The explanation? He was afraid of being charged with music plagiarism. Some say that he also asks his driver to turn off the radio, for the very same reason.

Maybe that is why Andrew’s compositions do sound very original and unique. To take only the famous multi-award winning musical “Phantom of the Opera”, that has been seen by 130 million people in 145 cities in 27 countries. “All I Ask of You” is one of the most loved songs in it. It appears in Act I of the musical when the heroine escapes to the roof to talk with her friend who promises to love her and guard from the Phantom.

Friedrich Nietzsche the composer

We all know him as a prominent philosopher and philologist but hardly would anyone mention Friedrich Nietzsche as a… composer or pianist. However, he was one, and a quite enthusiastic one. His experience as a musician preceded his engagement as a thinker and undoubtedly influenced his philosophy in one way or another. Nietzsche actually moved in well-known composers’ circles and such outstanding music figures as Gustav Mahler, Frederick Delius and Richard Strauss were influenced by Nietzsche’s philosophical thinking which was reflected in some of their music pieces. Nietzsche’s own works were not at all popular during his lifetime but a couple of albums were published later on, “In the Moonlight on the Plains”, “Hymnus an das Leben”, “There Goes a Brook” being among some of the published works. Free from conservatory strictness, today Nietzsche-composer’s music is considered as improvising and fascinating in its own manner.

Duet of light and music - Alexander Scriabin

A hundred years ago classical composers were all absorbed in creating music that, as they hoped, would eventually bear some genius sound. Every each of them was inspired by his/her own muse – women, nature, feelings… For Alexander Scriabin fire and light became those sources of inspiration. And it all resulted in a most amazing of duets – combination of music and light, color music. His SymphonyNo.5 ‘Prometheus. The Poem of Fire’ (so symbolically picked for the Greek God of Fire) was the first to be performed with a color music effect in 1915. Scriabin thus became a pioneer in ‘music coloring’. Today technology has gone so far; now one can enjoy the power of music, laser light and even water fountains combined. But back then it was a truly unique and breathtaking experience.

Ballade for Violin and Piano – Porumbescu

Having once written about J.S. Bach being sentenced to jail for his strong desire to leave his position of concertmaster, I admit that it wasn't a serious law violation. Okay, composers are generally not involved into something of a like kind, however I can't help but recall a case of a greater misdemeanor: a Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu was arrested for his political activity one day. Luckily for us and him, all turned out well and he was able to continue composing. One of the major composers of Romania, he and his quite diverse oeuvre deserve a close look. Here is his Ballade for Violin and Piano.