Alexander Scriabin

Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915) was a Russian composer who developed from the late-Romantic tradition toward the innovative musical language of the early twentieth century. His early piano music shows a strong influence of Chopin, combining refined lyricism with an elegant sense of dance. In the early set of 10 Mazurkas, Op. 3, he explores expressive melodies and nuanced harmony within concise forms. Over time, he developed an increasingly individual harmonic language, expanding the boundaries of tonality and moving toward a mystical style in which sensuality and spirituality intersect. His major piano works include the Piano Sonata No. 5, sets of Preludes and Études, and the late Vers la flamme. Rich in color and charged with tension, Scriabin’s piano music connects the Russian tradition with the emerging language of modernism and influenced the development of twentieth-century music.