Born:
December 25, 1871 (or January 6, 1872)
Birthplace:
Moscow, Russia
Died:
April 14 [or April 27], 1915 in Moscow, Russia due to septicaemia
Also Known As:
His full name was Aleksandr Nikolayevich Scriabin; he was a Russian composer and pianist of the 20th century.
Type of Compositions:
Scriabin is most known for his symphonies and piano music influenced by mysticism and philosophical ideas. He wrote 85 piano preludes and 10 sonatas.
Influence:
From 1882 to 1889, Scriabin studied at the Moscow Cadet School; he also studied piano with Nikolay Zverev. He entered the Moscow Conservatory in 1888 where he studied composition with Anton Arensky and Sergey Taneyev, and piano with V.I. Safonov. He graduated from the conservatory in 1892 with a second place win for one of his compositions under his belt.
Musical Work:
His works include the "Piano Concerto," "Symphony No. 1," "Symphony No. 3" (Le divin poeme), "Poem of Ecstasy" (Poeme de l'extase) and "Prometheus" (Le poeme du feu).
Interesting Facts:
Through the help of a publisher named Belyayev, Scriabin went on a European tour where he performed his own compositions. He later became a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory from 1898 to 1903. He toured the United States from 1906 to 1907 before returning to Russia in 1908.
Additional Facts:
Scriabin was married to Vera Isakovich in 1897 and their union produced 4 children. He would leave his wife seven years later for a pianist named Tatiana Schloezer. He entered the Moscow Conservatory the same year as Rachmaninoff. Both composers studied piano with Nikolay Zverev and entered the same competition; with Rachmaninoff placing first and Scriabin winning second.
Related Video:
Listen to Aleksandr Scriabin perform "Etude Op.8 No.12" courtesy of YouTube.