Overview
Introduction
Alexander Scriabin's Symphony No. 1, Op. 26, in E major was written in 1899 and 1900. It is an ambitious first symphony, consisting of six movements the last of which has a chorus and two vocal soloists.
- I. Lento
- II. Allegro drammatico
- III. Lento
- IV. Vivace
- V. Allegro
- VI. Andante
History
The composer began to sketch the symphony in 1899. In January 1900 he tried it out at the piano in Moscow with this friend Alexander Goldenweiser. In this version for two pianos the work was played to various musicians, including Lyadov (who later that year conducted the premiere of the symphony, minus the last movement.) Scriabin wrote the bulk of the work in the summer of 1900, working on it intensively in the Moscow district of Daryino. In June 1900 he wrote to the publisher Belyayev that he was "very busy composing for orchestra", and three months later in September he reported: "During the summer I wrote a symphony (6 movements) and am now orchestrating it".
Scriabin first showed his symphony to his teacher Safonov at the piano, then to Lyadov when he came to St. Petersburg. Scriabin had prevaricated over the definitive text of the choral finale, which he himself had written, but the artistic committee which presided over the acceptance of works to be published by the publishing house (headed by Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov and Lyadov) declared: "the vocal part in the sixth movement of your symphony is unperformable, and in such a form this movement of the symphony cannot be published".
Despite Scriabin’s protestations, when Lyadov conducted the work's premiere on 24 November 1900 (11 November, Old Style), the finale was omitted.
Scriabin nonetheless was awarded the coveted Glinka Award (later renamed the Glinka Prize) in November 1900 for this work.
It was to be another five months before the symphony was heard in its entirety: the symphony had its first complete performance in Moscow on 29 March 1901 (16 March, Old Style) under the direction of Safonov, in a concert dedicated to the memory of Nikolai Rubinstein.
Fifteen years later the critic Arthur Eaglefield Hull wrote that the First Symphony was "a masterly work of great beauty".
Finale
The finale is a paean to the sovereignty of Art, a theme common in Scriabin's works. The words were written by Scriabin himself. The Mezzo-soprano begins the movement with "O highest symbol of divinity, supreme art and harmony, we bring praise as tribute before you", and the piece concludes with Mezzo-soprano, Tenor and—finally—Chorus singing "Ruling omnipotently over the earth, you lift man up to do glorious deeds. Come all peoples everywhere to Art. Let us sing its praises."
The full translation of the text of the final movement is roughly as follows:
O wonderful image of the Divine,
Harmony’s pure Art!
To you we gladly bring
Praise of that rapturous feeling.
You are life’s bright hope,
You are celebration, you are respite,
Like a gift you bring to the people
Your enchanted visions.
In that gloomy and cold hour,
When the soul is full of tumult,
Man finds in you
The spry joy of consolation.
Strength, fallen in battle, you
Miraculously call to life,
In the exhausted and afflicted mind
You breed thoughts of a new order.
An endless ocean of emotion you
Breed in the enraptured heart,
And sings the best songs of songs,
Your high priest, by you enlivened.
On Earth gloriously reigns
Your spirit, free and mighty,
Man lifted by you
Gloriously conducts the greatest feat.
Come, all peoples of the world,
Let us sing the praises of Art!
Glory to Art,
Glory forever!
More Information
The Russian version of this page contains much more information and the lyrics of this piece.
Lyrics
词作者：斯克里亚宾
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О дивный образ божества, Гармоний чистое искусство! Тебе приносим дружно мы Хвалу восторженного чувства.
Ты жизни светлая мечта, Ты праздник, ты отдохновенье; Как дар приносишь людям ты Свои волшебные виденья!
В тот мрачный и холодный час, Когда душа полна смятенья, В тебе находит человек Живую радость утешенья и забвенья.
Ты силы, павшие в борьбе, Чудесно к жизни призываешь; В уме усталом и больном Ты мыслей новых строй рождаешь.
Ты чувств безбрежный океан Рождаешь в сердце восхищённом, И лучших песней песнь поёт Твой жрец тобою вдохновлённый.
Царит всевластно на земле Твой дух, свободный и могучий; Тобой поднятый человек Свершает славно подвиг лучший.
Придите все народы мира, Искусству славу воспоём! Хор Слава искусству, вовеки слава! |
哦，上帝的奇妙肖像， 和谐的纯粹艺术！ 你让我们集结一堂， 狂喜地赞颂。
你是生命之光的梦想， 你欢庆，你憩息， 带给世人的就像礼物， 你的不可思议的景象！
在那黑暗而冷酷的时候， 当灵魂满是混乱， 人类从你那里找到 生之欢悦的安慰和遗忘。
你的力量使那受苦的 奇迹般唤醒生命； 在乏味与苍白的思绪中， 你孕育了新的思想。
你的无限的意识的海洋， 在狂喜的心中孕育。 唱起歌中最美妙的篇章 是你的牧师，从你那里得的灵感。
大地的至上的统治， 是你的灵魂，只有而强大； 你提升了人类， 完成了最显赫的功绩。
来吧，世上的所有民族， 让我们歌唱艺术的光荣！ 合唱 光荣属于艺术，永恒的光荣！ |
