The music of the Poem of Fire is largely dissonant and based on what Scriabin called his "mystic chord." The Poem of Ecstasy, by contrast, is an exotic piece of late Romanticism (it was completed in 1908). Both last around 20 minutes.
Beethoven's Prometheus Overture is being added to tonight's concert to highlight the theme of the theft of fire (in Greek mythology Prometheus stole fire from the gods). Guest pianist in the Poem of Fire is Mikhail Rudy, born in Russia, and so a compatriot of Scriabin, but long resident in France. NSO director Chien Wen-pin (簡文彬) conducts.
Even without the addition of flashing lights, Scriabin's music is worth closer attention. I'm not the only person to think this. A couple of years ago I was chatting to an assistant in a music store in Hsimending when he remarked that Lin Hwai-min had just been in. I asked what he'd bought. "Everything we had from some obscure Russian," he replied. Who was that, I asked. He thought for a moment. "Some guy called Scriabin," he replied.
For detailed program information, see Classical Music listings, p14.
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