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Scriabin, a Biography: Second, Revised Edition
 
 
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Scriabin, a Biography: Second, Revised Edition (Paperback)

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4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Definitive biography, newly revised and updated, probes the innovation and mysticism of the Russian composer’s music as it chronicles his life and career: tours of Europe and America, abandonment of his wife, brushes with homosexuality and madness and much more. Includes a catalog of Scriabin’s works and 49 rare photographs.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 656 pages
  • Publisher: Dover Publications; 2 Revised edition (July 12, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0486288978
  • ISBN-13: 978-0486288970
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,450,395 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Faubion Bowers
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Scriabin for normal people, January 25, 2004
By Helle Kaasik (Tartu, Estonia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The book is rich in facts and documents, you find there most if not all the important dates, places, pieces and persons. Scriabin's personal letters bring him very close to the reader - sometimes even uncomfortably close. Young creative persons reading that could lose their motivation to get famous - not everybody wants his or her private letters to be published like this. After reading this book it becomes nearly impossible to be as successful as Scriabin himself in ignoring his human weaknesses.

In this book we find some translated poems of Scriabin, including the "Poem of Ecstasy", describing in poetic language the same spiritual process as his Symphony #4 (Op.54) under the same name. Compared to this great music having many good recordings and easy to find in Internet, the text is almost forgotten by general public - it took some years for me to dig out the text in its original Russian language.

About Scriabin's philosophy and mysticism Bowers gives us the facts and citations with a slightly ironical bystander's smile. He understands Scriabin's seeking for ecstasy and the "I am God" thing that are so easy to confuse with escapism and "mania grandiosa". But he does not share Scriabin's exalted feelings and fails every hope of dedicated fans to serve this God together. Author of the biography is honest enough not to pretend that he has understood every little thing in Scriabin's ideas. He also avoids the primitive freudism that is too often seen in biographies. I recommend this book for every enthusiast of Scriabin who is not afraid of unveiled reality.

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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Window into 19th Century Russia, December 28, 1998
Mr. Bower's biography of Scriabin is more than a biography. It is at the same another window into the life of the more priviledged classes of prerevolutionary Russia before WWI...a virtual syllabus of names and personalities to be investigated in further readings. It is a lively illustration of a lost culture, a worthwhile addition to the cultural picture painted in Massey's THE FIREBIRD.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent - a lovingly crafted insight, July 19, 2000
By James J. Fallon (Armonk, New York USA) - See all my reviews
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A lovingly crafted insight into one of the greatest of musical minds. Extensive excerpts from letters, postcards, and notebooks yields a startling account of Scriabins progression from child prodigy to poet, philosopher, and composer. However this is not just a biography, it's presentation is akin to a Scriabin Sonata, with structure yet diversity and surprise. A joy for all music lovers and a must for Scriabin fans.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Insightful, and Honest
My Great-Uncle Faubion wrote this book,and I can honestly say I find it to be the best biography on a famous composer that I've ever read. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Emily R. Caldwell

2.0 out of 5 stars Sellers Inflating Book Rating
I own this book and personally I think the sellers are inflating the rating of this book. It is nowhere near magnificent. Read more
Published on September 23, 2007 by C. Renner

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent - a lovingly crafted insight
A lovingly crafted insight into one of the greatest of musical minds. Extensive excerpts from letters, postcards, and notebooks yields a startling account of Scriabins... Read more
Published on July 19, 2000 by James J. Fallon

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