"The Poem of Ecstasy" for Orchestra - Alexander Scriabin

Mariinsky (Kirov) Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.
I - Andante. Languido - Lento. Soavamente - Allegro volando - Lento - Molto languido - Allegro non troppo - Moderato, avec délice - Trés parfumé - Presque en délire - Allegro dramatico - Tragico - Tempestoso - Lento - Allegro volando - Lento - Allegro - Molto più lento - Allegro - Charmé - Scherzando - Allegro molto. Leggierissimo. Volando - Maestoso: 0:00
Scriabin's "Poem of Ecstasy" was composed between 1905-7, being revised the following year. It was premiered on December 10 of 1908, performed by the Russian Symphony Orchestra Society conducted by Modest Altschuler. The work can be described as a symphonic poem, Scriabin calling it his fourth symphony despite abandoning the roots of the genre. It was poorly received in the United States, but the following Russian performance was an immense success and Scriabin's name was hailed everywhere.
Scriabin presented the following programme: “Poem of Ecstasy is the joy of liberated action. The Cosmos, i.e., Spirit, is eternal Creation without External Motivation, a Divine Play with Worlds. The Creative Spirit, i.e., the Universe at Play, is not conscious of the absoluteness of its creativeness, having subordinated itself to a Finality and made creativity a means toward an end. The stronger the pulse-beat of life and the more rapid the precipitation of rhythms, the more clearly the awareness comes to the Spirit that is consubstantial with creativity, immanent within itself, and that its life is a play. When the Spirit has attained the supreme culmination of its activity and has been torn away from the embraces of teleology and relativity, when it has exhausted completely its substance and its liberated active energy, the Time of Ecstasy shall then arrive.”
The work is loosely structured in sonata form, with the division of sections heavily blurred. It opens with a slow prologue in which key motives are introduced, the languid theme of longing is introduced by the flute, described by Scriabin as "human striving after the ideal". A violin solo presents the theme of human love, answered by the trumpet, which brilliantly appears with a masculine theme titled "The Will to Rise". The clarinet then presents a lyrical, dreamy theme that represents the Ego. The flute then appears again, this time introducing a light and bouncy theme described as "The Soaring Flight of the Spirit".
As we see, the groups of themes are separated between passive (feminine) and active (masculine) natures, from which comes the vague sonata structure. The violin presents a new, caressing theme, which grows increasingly expressive and chromatic. In contrast, it is answered by the forceful theme of self-affirmation, rising in a grand climax. A deeply lyrical passage with the opening languid theme leads us to a passionate, almost delirious climax. The development begins as the imperious trumpet theme reappear, followed by a very stormy and turbulent passage. An intense, massive climax is reached in which imperiousness and voluptuosity are combined.
This peak is followed by a noble and ecstatic section dominated by the trumpet. The recapitulation then begins with the languid opening theme, followed by the rest of themes and motives. As the imperious trumpet theme reappears, it leads us to a yearning passage, which builds towards a tremendous climax. A gentle, flowing transition is followed by the imperious trumpet theme. Follows an extensive coda in which the themes are contrapuntally interpreted. The theme of self-affirmation is interpreted by eight horns, trumpets and organ. After a brief pause and a calm passage full of longing, the work concludes in a massive and brilliant climax in C major.
Picture: "The Angel of Splendour" (1894) by the Belgian painter Jean Delville.
Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: bit.ly/3JTT43s and bit.ly/3KoQLqo
To check the score: bit.ly/3U3A1s7