Alexander Scriabin

Alexander Scriabin

Alexander Scriabin was born in Moscow, on January 6, 1872. He was taught music at an early age from his aunt. When he was 12, he began lessons with two prominent Moscovite piano teachers: Conus and Zverev. He commenced his studies of composition in 1885. In 1888, he enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory. He never showed much promise as a performing pianist, but he graduated with a gold medal nonetheless. He remained at the conservatory after his graduation to study fugue, but did not meet the requirements for the course when he failed the examination. Scriabin was offered a contract by a publisher who also offered to pay for his planned European tour. Scriabin performed some of his music in Paris in 1896 before returning to Russia where he completed his Piano Concerto. In 1897, Scriabin married Vera Isakovic, a fellow musician with whom he began to give joint recitals of his works. He began to teach piano at the Moscow Conservatory in 1898, and remained part of the faculty until 1903. In 1904, Scriabin earned an annuity of 2,400 rubles from a successful Moscow merchant, Morosov. He seperated from his wife in 1905, and moved in with Tatiana Schloezer, the sister of a music critic. In 1906, Scriabin appeared as a guest soloist with the Russian Symphony Society in New York. He left America for Paris in 1907 for fear of moral charges being brought against him and his common-law wife; he had never been legally divorced from his first wife. In 1908, Scriabin signed a five- year contract with publisher Serge Koussevitsky worth 5,000 rubles annually. He signed in 1912 with another publisher, Jurgenson, for an annual salary of 6,000 rubles. Scriabin died on April 27, 1915 in Moscow.
He had developed blood poisoning from an abscess in his lip. It was once said that Alexander Scriabin's solitary genius had no predecessors and left no disciples. His incredible inventiveness in harmony remains unmatched. He had an unusual conception of tones, which led to some interesting performances. For example, Scriabin saw certain keys as being associated with certain colors: C Major was red, F-sharp Major was bright blue. This led some performers to accompany their playing of Scriabin's works with displays of laser light.

ALBERT WILLIAM KATELBY

ALBERT WILLIAM KATELBY

Albert Ketelby was the composer who wrote such exotically titled pieces as "In a Persian Market", and "In a Monestery Garden". The composer of Danish origin was born in Aston, England, on August 9, 1875. At the age of 11, he wrote his first piano sonata, which was praised by elder composer Sir Edward Elgar. When he was 13, he won a Queen Victoria scholarship at Trinity College. At the age of only 16, he was employed by St. John Church at Wimbledon as organist. He conducted a musical comedy troupe when he was 20, before being hired by Columbia Gramophone Co. as musical director, and by Chappell's Music Publishing as music editor. Much of Ketelby's music was written under assorted pseudonyms. Ketelby died at Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, on November 26, 1959.

ISAAC ALBENIZ

ISAAC ALBENIZ

Albeniz, Isaac born May 29, 1860 died May 18, 1909 Albeniz was a Spanish composer and piano virtuoso known as one of Spain's most important musical figures vital in creating a national idiom and indigenous school of piano music. Albeniz gave one of his first performances at the age of four and so startled the audience with his brilliance that some kind of trickery was suspected. At the tender age of thirteen he left home, traveling to far away placed such as South America, Cuba and the USA, occasionally stowing- away. He managed to support himself by giving concerts. His travels eventually brought him back to Europe where in 1880 he had the opportunity to study and learn from Liszt. In 1883 he settled in Barcelona and married and subsequently had three children. Ten years later he moved to Paris and was influenced by the French composers Paul Dukas and Vincent d'Indy. His most important work is considered to be Iberia, a set of twelve piano pieced inspired by the music and dance rhythms of Spain. He also composed several operas, most notably Pepita Jimenez. After his death from Bright's Disease, the French government awarded Albeniz the Grand Cross of the Legion d'honneur.