The Russian State TV and Radio Choir, founded in 1928 by Alexander Svechnikov, was praised by Shostakovich in 1975 as one of the best choral groups in the country.
Performer Biography
Konstantin Scherbakov, the pianist on this recording, was hailed as a 'modern Rachmaninov' and won the first Rachmaninov Competition in Moscow in 1983.
Performer Biography
Igor Golovschin, the conductor, won the Herbert von Karajan Conductors' Competition in 1982 and the Moscow National Conductors' Competition in 1984.
Composer Biography
Alexander Scriabin, the composer, was born in Moscow in 1872 and spent his childhood in the care of his paternal grandmother and an unmarried aunt after his mother's death and father's diplomatic service abroad.
Composition History
Scriabin's Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Opus 20, was completed under considerable pressure from his supporter Belyayev and with assistance from Rimsky-Korsakov and Lyadov.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Scriabin's Prometheus, The Poem of Fire, written between 1908 and 1910, is imbued with the symbolism of theosophy and includes a colour organ to project colours associated with certain notes.
Compositional Technique
Prometheus, The Poem of Fire, features a 'colour organ' designed to project colours corresponding to the music, and a wordless chorus signifying life in its various forms.
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