Alexander Scriabin (1871 - 1915) Alexander Scriabin considered
himself to be a messianic figure, and he was actually half
justified—he really was born on Christmas Day 1871, but several
Russian biographers, in an overzealous attempt to enhance this
messianic reputation, erroneously attribute the date of his
death to Easter Sunday, April 14, 1915, when in actuality,
Easter Sunday came early that year, on March 29. He died amidst
the immense conflagration that was gripping all of Europe at the
time—the “Great” War, which he thought would purge mankind and
usher in a glorious new era of mystical wonder. Inspired by
Wagner’s ideas concerning Gesamntkunstwerk, he even planned on
composing a mammoth piece, the Mysterium, to commemorate this
cataclysmic event. “The performance of this piece was to take
place in a half-temple to be built in India. Bells suspended
from clouds would summon the spectators from all over the world.
A reflecting pool of water would complete the divinity of the
half-circle stage. Spectators