Scriabin and the Possible

Abstract

Alexander Scriabin imagined hisPrometheus: Poem of Fire, op. 60, as a spectacular “dual symphony” of light and sound. For much of the work’s history, however, the light part remained enigmatic and technologically unperformable, contributing to a vicious cycle between performance and analysis. An incomplete understanding of the function of the lights resulted in a disregard for Scriabin’s lighting notation in performances, while the unavailability of accurate, convincing performances has inhibited curiosity regarding the lights’ full analytical potential. This paper reassesses the relationship between music and lights inPrometheus, drawing upon new research regarding the nature of Scriabin’s vision. We explore the potential of the lights to perform a real-time visual analysis of the music using video excerpts from our 2010 performance with the Yale Symphony Orchestra.

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