Subscription Concerts 2023-2024Program A
No. 2013 Subscription (Program A)

Russian composer-pianist Scriabin is often contrasted with his former schoolmate Rachmaninov (1873–1943) one year his junior. The two friends had indeed opposite aesthetics and styles in composition: Rachmaninov’s reliance in the 19th-century Romantic idioms was unswerving during his long life, whilst Scriabin parted from the traditional tonal language through his radical harmonic device called “mystic chord(s)” coupled with his mysticism and synesthesia (musical notes and keys made him see certain colors). Today’s concert program looks back at Scriabin’s early years prior to this epochal step forward for music history, although his highly personal approach will have virtually no successor after his sudden death at age 43.
Rêverie (1898) is the first purely orchestral work actually completed by young Scriabin who had, up until then, only finished piano solo pieces and a piano concerto (discussed below). He adopted this dreamy French title and its Russian translation mechty (daydreams) taking the advice of his publisher and patron Belyayev. A member of the advisory board of Belyayev’s publishing firm, Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) conducted the highly-praised first performance in December 1898, to Scriabin’s delight. This brief, beautifully elaborate gem is in A–B–A form. The opening section A introduces the meandering main theme on a clarinet and then the subtheme on an oboe, followed by the brighter animated section B developing the sub-theme. After the section A returns, an effective whole pause leads to a calm coda based on the main theme.

[Kumiko Nishi]

Scriabin was proud that his birthday fell on the Russian orthodox Christmas day. Before he could talk and walk, the only child lost his mother who was an excellent pianist. Because his father was working overseas, Scriabin was brought up – and doted on – by his music-loving aunt, grandmother and great-aunt. The musically gifted boy was educated by the illustrious piano teacher Zverev before studying at the Moscow Conservatory until 1892.
A composer and phenomenal improviser as well, young Scriabin wrote many piano solo pieces of which the titles – nocturne, polonaise, mazurka and so forth – evoke his idol Chopin. Following his 1896 European debut as a rising composer-pianist, Scriabin completed the Piano Concerto (1897), his first piece involving orchestra.
A characteristic of Scriabin’s piano compositions is the virtuosic eloquence of the left hand part: while his right hand was injured by a horse carriage accident in 1885 and excessive practicing in 1891, Scriabin’s left hand was greatly trained. The Piano Concerto opens with a F-sharp-minor sonata. The pianist enters in an improvisatory manner revealing the lyrical first theme, and later states the second theme reminding us of the Polish folk dance “mazurka.” The next slow movement in F-sharp major lets the strings announce the theme, followed by the four contrasting variations and a coda. The F-sharp-minor finale, a rondo-sonata, has the heroic first theme recalling the Polish folk dance “polonaise” and the mellifluous second theme. The coda brings the Concerto to a passionate ending in F-sharp major.

[Kumiko Nishi]

The above-mentioned Rêverie and Piano Concerto earned Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915) a remarkable reputation, which spurred him on to a bigger-scale orchestral genre. In 1899–1900, the ambitious composer in his late twenties tackled his Symphony No. 1, a six-movement work requiring solo singers and a mixed chorus for the finale as if to tread the footsteps of Beethoven. It was first performed partly (without vocalists) in 1900 and entirely the next year. Scriabin was eager for his next symphony to include voices again. His publisher and patron Belyayev, however, was strongly opposed to the idea in mid-1900 on the grounds that the requirement for a number of singers contributed to the difficulties of making No. 1’s performance happen readily and frequently. Completed in a short time in 1901, the Symphony No. 2 was turned into a purely instrumental piece.
No. 2 is cast in five movements. The first two and the last two are performed without pause. Thus it could be heard as a classical three-movement symphony, while it is unconventional with respect to the fact that the home keys of all the movements are different from each other. The central third movement (Andante, B major) famously gives a realistic depiction by letting a flute reenact a bird twittering. This axis is surrounded symmetrically by the rhythmically active second movement (Allegro, E-flat major) and the scherzo-style fourth movement (F minor) headed Tempestuoso (stormily). The dark first movement (Andante, C minor) and the elated march-like last movement (Maestoso [majestically], C major) seem to form a pronounced contrast: in fact, Scriabin provided them unity by utilizing the same melody for the principal themes introduced at the outset of the first movement (by a clarinet) and the finale (mainly by brass and timpani).
No. 2’s premieres in St. Petersburg (1902) and Moscow (1903) caused complaints among conservative critics primarily due to the dissonances. Before long, the audacious composer would create three more symphonies far beyond the frame of a traditional symphony.

[Kumiko Nishi]