Russian modernism

Ayn Marx · 05-22-2022, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD

I think Alexander Scriabin deserves a shout in this thread. Might seem strange to describe him as a "modernist" since he belonged to the pre-WW1 generation of Russian composers, but many of his works are really innovative, especially the late ones that flirt with polytonality and even atonality.

Spoiler for Prometheus: The Poem of Fire:

Spoiler for Deux Poèmes, op. 71:

Spoiler for Vers la flamme, Op. 72:

Thanks for posting those links. My organ teacher made a transcription of those pieces I found almost impossible to get right. Even just reading them now is scary. Great work though (with a subtle undertow of madness?)
Not Russian but I’m reminded of Alkan whose originality, eccentricity and scary technical difficulty is too often ignored.