On January 26, an envelope with a commemorative stamp dedicated to the 150th Birth Anniversary of composer Alexander N. Skriabin was put into postal circulation



Alexander N. Skriabin (1872–1915) was a Russian composer and pianist, educator, representative of symbolism in music. He was the first to introduce the concept of “color music". Alexander Scriabin was born in Moscow in 1872 to a noble family. At the age of five, the boy played simple piano pieces and at the age of eight, he was composing music. In 1882, he entered the Second Moscow Cadet Corps, where his first performance took place. In 1892, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the class of piano.

Scriabin’s music is very distinctive. It clearly conveys nervousness, impulsivity, restless pursuit no stranger to mysticism. Being a subtle and sensitive pianist, Scriabin consciously followed Chopin in his early compositions and even composed pieces in the same genres as Chopin: études, waltzes, mazurkas, sonatas, nocturnes, impromptus, polonaise and concerto for piano and orchestra; however, it was at that period of his creative fledgling that the composer’s own style manifested itself. In later years, however, the composer turned to the genre of a poem, both pianistic and orchestral. Scriabin's major compositions for orchestra are three symphonies (Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 3 composed in 1900, 1902 and 1904, accordingly), The Poem of Ecstasy (1907), and Prometheus (1910). The orchestral score of the Prometheus symphonic poem includes a part for a color organ, which made Skriabin the first composer in history to use color music. A. Scriabin toured many Russian cities and performed abroad. On the outbreak of World War I, he gave charity concerts for the benefit of the Red Cross and war-stricken families.

The main image features covers of sheet music books, a grand piano, and a line from a composition by A. Scriabin; the commemorative stamp provides a portrait of the composer and a scene of his performance with an orchestra.

In addition to the issue of the envelope with a commemorative stamp, JSC Marka produced a special cancel for Moscow.


Design Artist: A. Moskovets.
Quantity: 1 million items.

« back