The Notebooks of Alexander Skryabin

Foreword: Vladimir Ashkenazy Editorial procedure: The translations Russian dates Acknowledgements Preface : Simon Nicholls Cultural context Biographical elements The Writings of Skryabin (Russkie propilei, Moscow, 1919) [Note by Mikhail Gershenzon] A Note by Boris de Schloezer on the Preliminary Action 4 The Notebooks: I. A single sheet, written at the age of about sixteen II. Period of the First Symphony, around 1900 III. Chorus from Symphony No. 1 IV. Libretto for an opera, after the First Symphony but before 1903 V. Notebook, summer 1904, Switzerland VI. Notebook, 1904-5 VII. Notebook, 1905-6 VIII. The Poem of Ecstasy IX. [The Preliminary Action]: 1. Initial version, full text 2. Final, fair copy of the text, unfinished The Growth of Skryabin's Thought Simon Nicholls A 'philosopher-musician'? The influence of philosophy: Music and philosophy Skryabin's reading Ernest Renan Greek philosophy German Idealism Russian philosophy and Russian Symbolism Conference at Geneva The influence of Theosophy Indian culture Skryabin's philosophy of music Skryabin's 'teaching' Thought in words, music, colour: Skryabin's developing Symbolist practice Skryabin's poetic language The Poem of Ecstasy: text and music (1905-1908) Prometheus: music, colour and the word (1908-1910) The Preliminary Action: A preliminary to what? - 'The idea of the Mystery' (Leonid Sabaneyev) Performance as sacrament The music for the Preliminary Action People and publications: Leonid Sabaneyev Mikhail Gershenzon and Russkie propilei Supplementary texts by Alexander Skryabin: I. Reminiscences of youth II. Text to an unfinished Ballade for piano (1887) III. Romance (1891) IV. An early statement of aspiration (1892) Letters to Natal'ya Sekerina: V. [June 1892] VI. [July 1892] VII. [May/June 1893] VIII. [June 1893] Letters to Margarita Morozova: IX. April 1904 X. [April/May 1906] Letters to Tat'yana de Schloezer: XI. [January 1905] XII. [December 1906] XIII. Poem to accompany Sonata No. 4. XIV. Open Letter to A. N. Bryanchaninov: 'Art and Politics' (1915) Biographical notes Bibliography