Need some help on a dissertation idea

[astroboy]

Hi all,

So as part of my music course I have to write a 6500 word dissertation. I've been reading a few things and I've chosen to do it on Scriabin, but it's too broad, so I need to somehow narrow it down. Does anyone have any ideas about Scriabin that I could write about? Thanks

Ryan

[Petter]

Maybe something about his idea of colours?

[Bob]

Synesthesia?  (however it's spelled)

broadening of tonality

a list of his works?  That's probably been done a few times already though, but it might be new to you.

Scriabin, as he represents the late Romantic style (Was he late Romantic?  Or early modern?)

Maybe try wikipedia to get more ideas.

[mattgreenecomposer]

Write about his lip fungus....lol

[dnephi]

He actually didn't have synaesthasia.  Furthermore, it wasn't a fungal infection. 

I think it'd be better to demonstrate the continuity of his style.  Although he started as a romantic composer, he forged his own path of the occult in later works.  In the middle period he retains characteristics of each other period and the transition occurs gradually.  If you could point at specific works (Say, Op. 28 for having begun his transition,  being more pronounced in Op. 30, a rethinking of harmony using quartal intermediates in Op. 42, abandoning of functional harmony in the 5th sonata, creation of the mystic chord (I think it's Prometheus), and choosing to leave out key signatures later on.  His voice leading is very well-crafted, and so a study of its progression would also be good.  The same goes for his rhythm, meter, and form.

You could also talk about his philosophy.  He wrote a program for the 3rd sonata, although it's supposed that his wife did it instead.  He also wrote one for the 4th sonata.  It contains a lot of pretentious babble, but it's useful to understanding his mindset.

You could also look at his evolving keyboard style.  It's been said that he makes exceptional demands of the left hand partially because he injured his right hand and practiced only with his left hand while it healed. 

Get a book on Scriabin, complete preludes and etudes, and complete sonatas from the library and read up!

Good luck.

[Bob]

Yes, compare and contrast his style development.  Cite specific examples.  That's a dissertation.  Haha.  Lot of work.  Started off Chopin, then became himself.

The philsophy behind his pieces.  I like that.  That could be interesting.

[iumonito]

Op. 28 for having begun his transition,  being more pronounced in Op. 30, a rethinking of harmony using quartal intermediates in Op. 42, abandoning of functional harmony in the 5th sonata, creation of the mystic chord (I think it's Prometheus)

By the way, functional harmony is alive and well in Op. 53 and beyond.  What is abandoned is a I-V polarity (typical of the 18th Century classical period), replaced by a I-IV1/2 polarity (tow dominants instead of a dominant and a tonic, basically).

Op. 53 and the Poem of Ecstasy make a for a narrower ground for your paper.  Fabion Bowers has a good book on Scriabin and it has a nice chapter on harmony.  You can summarize it and contrast it with Schoenberg, Messiaen and Prokofiev and see where you come out.