Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915) was an innovative composer who, through a significant evolution in his musical language, found a way to free himself from the constraints of tonal music and transitioned to an uninhibited form of musical creation. Two connected elements that accelerated this transformation were his developing mysticism and his perception of color as the visual counterpart of sound, brought about by either synesthesia or conscious artistic intent.
In this PhD research by Nuno Cernadas, Scriabin’s color and sound symbiosis and his relationship to mystical philosophy, as in Prometheus: The Poem of Fire (Op. 60), will be studied in order to apply these ideas to the creation of an original multisensory live concept for the performance of his ten piano sonatas. The research will focus on the mystical philosophies that influenced Scriabin, their historical and cultural significance in early twentieth-century Europe, and their role in the development of Scriabin’s style. The researcher will undertake an in-depth study of Prometheus, his first attempt to produce a multisensory work of art blending color and music in a transfigurative masterpiece. Musical interpretation and performance practice are equally central. Through the synaesthetic exploration of Scriabin’s ten piano sonatas, this project will create a musical and visual experience that follows and continues the visionary intentions of the composer.