Octatonic Composition: Scriabin

Harmonic plan
3 ™ ˙˙ ™™ #n˙˙˙ ™™™ ™ n˙˙ ™™
& 4 b˙˙˙ ™™ ˙™ #˙˙˙ ™™ ˙™

{ mystic chord III on C

? 43 #b˙˙˙ ™™™

(octatonic)
˙˙ ™™
˙™
progression by tritone
mystic chord II on F# mystic chord II on F# mystic chord III on C

#˙ ™
n#˙˙ ™™

(whole tone)
˙™
˙˙ ™™
progression by tritone
#b˙˙˙ ™™™

(acoustic)

˙˙ ™™ n˙ ™ n˙˙ ™™
& ˙™ ## ˙˙ ™™ ##n˙˙˙ ™™™ b˙˙ ™™ ˙™

{
˙™
mystic chord V on A mystic chord V on F# mystic chord V on Eb mystic chord I on C

˙˙ ™™ #b˙˙˙ ™™™
? ˙™ #˙˙˙ ™™™ #˙˙ ™™ b˙˙ ™™
# ˙™ b˙™
progression by m3 progression by m3 progression by m3 progression by m3 (acoustic)
(octatonic)

bizarre, fantastique et scriabinesque

Vers la femme
a
j œ bœ b œ #œ œ #bœ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ #œ
& ‰ œ œ œ

{
3 a1
a a

œ #œ œ #œ œ œ
3
œ ‰ 3

? ‰˙™ #œj bœ ˙™ nœ
j #œ #œ œ #œ bœ
#˙ ™
° *°
a a
étrangement >œ b
3 3 œ œ œ œ
& ‰ nœj #œ #œ œ œ œ œ b˙ œ bœ nœ

{ b ˙œ˙ ™™
3

? nœ œ ? ‰˙™ #œj bœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
#˙ ™ #œ
œ #œ
*° *
2
>œ ™ b

#˙ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ
& j J

{
#œ
>
5

# ‰˙ ™ 3 ‰ 3

nœ ? ##˙˙˙ ™™™ &# œj #œ

∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

? #˙ ™ & j ?
˙ ™ #œ #œ œ bœ #œ nœ #œ

∏∏∏∏
œ œ
° * °

œ œ œ bœ n b# ˙˙˙ ™™™
∏∏∏∏∏∏
œ bœ
J ˙™
& ‰

{
3
avec une profondeur mystique

‰ a U
b ˙˙ ™™
3
œ œ
bœj œ
∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

b œ œ
? b˙ ™ œj œ b œ ‰˙™
*° * °
Recipe:
(1) Create a harmonic sketch of a progression of mystic chords, using root progressions
mainly by tritone or minor thirds, as these will have common tritones.
(2) On the basis of this progression, develop a melodic idea using the octatonic, overtone and/or whole-tone scales
appropriate to the chords.
(3) Add interest and richness to the piano texture with inner voices freely imitating the melody. Chromatic passing notes can
be used.
(4) Add rhythmic interest with triplets, quintuplets etc.
(5) End on an unresolved mystic chord - possibly the one you started with, or a tritone away from it.
(6) Add weird instructions, preferably in French.