Spiritual metamorphosis: the evolution of Scriabin's fanfare motif in piano sonatas 2-4

Alexander Scriabin’s music underwent an enormous development, from Chopinesque compositions to abstract, apocalyptic works. This monograph argues that the fanfare (фанфар) motif is the primary thread tracking his artistic and philosophical evolution from early Romanticism to his middle-period mysticism. By analyzing the fanfare's continuous development across three pivotal, programmatic piano sonatas, this study demonstrates how its musical function transforms in direct parallel with the composer's spiritual ambitions. This study traces the fanfare’s evolution through three distinct stages: from a pictorial device rooted in the 19th-century tradition of nature-painting in the Second Sonata; to a psychological symbol of inner conflict in the Third Sonata, as guided by its États d'âme program; and finally, to a transcendental vehicle for ecstatic flight in the Fourth Sonata. This focus on a single, recurring gesture reveals the fanfare as the primary vehicle for Scriabin's spiritual metamorphosis toward his ultimate goal of apotheosis. This monograph provides a framework that inextricably links his musical language to his symbolic preoccupations and offers practical performance suggestions designed to illuminate these narrative scenarios for the listener.