Symphony No. 3 (Scriabin)

Alexander Scriabin's Symphony No. 3 (opus 43) in C minor, titled Le Divin Poème (The Divine Poem) was published in about 1904.

Its four movements are titled:
* Lento
* Luttes (Struggles)
* Voluptés (Delights)
* Jeu divin (Divine Play)

Scriabin's Third symphony, entitled "Le Divin Poème," is written in three sections, Luttes ("Struggles"), Voluptes ("Sensual Pleasures"), and Jeu Divin ("Divine Joy"), though the three sections move along continuously. In the introduction, the main theme appears in the basses answered by the trumpets and taken up in the first violins and woodwinds. The first movement begins with this theme in the violins and is taken up in the basses and gradually works up to a climax. As it dies away a hymn-like theme appears in the muted strings. The second melody follows in the woodwinds with violins and bass accompaniment, this in turn followed by a theme reminiscent of the "Dresden Amen" in a long tremolo, the trumpets giving out their original theme, to full accompaniment. After recapitulation the main theme appears in the horns, the violins in agitated accompaniment. The close of the section is vehement, gradually dying away and leading to the second section without halt. A slow, tender melody appears in the woodwinds and horns and later in the strings, the trumpets repeating their call in the first section. This melody, growing more and more passionate, is broken by a strong passage in the horns which finally give out in unison a joyous measure, the basses sounding the trumpet call inverted, leading to the Finale. Over a lively movement in the strings, the trumpets sound a variation of their call. A second melody follows in the oboes and cellos against the harmony of woodwinds and horns, which is suddenly interrupted by the return of the first melody. After development the episode of the unison horns and inverted trumpet call returns. Toward the close there is a return of the main theme of the first section and the section ends with the legend and the call in unison.

Leonid Sabaneev mentions that this symphony is much clearer when performed on the piano. He cites a pupil of Sergei Taneyev with the words: "One has to hear how Alexander Nikolayevich [Scriabin] himself plays this symphony on the piano, he made of it a kind of "Poème" for piano. The impression is unforgettable, and it sounds much better than with an orchestra." [Leonid Sabaneev: Erinnerungen an Alexander Skrjabin. "Verlag Ernst Kuhn" 1925/2005. (p32) ISBN 3-928864-21-1]

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