Scriabin's Op. 11 Preludes: Breaking Romantic Boundaries in Harmony and Emotion

My final project will explore how Alexander Scriabin’s Preludes Op. 11 push the boundaries of Romantic harmony within a concise structural framework. Composed between 1888-1896, this collection emerged during the height of late Romanticism, yet Scriabin’s approach to harmony in these pieces already departs from the stylistic norms of the time, favoring tension and instability over resolution and clarity. While earlier studies often emphasize his later “mystical” works, this paper argues that such aesthetic tendencies are already evident in Op. 11. In this study, I will examine how Scriabin manipulates harmonic tension and dissonance, employing complex chordal relationships and non-functional progressions to convey a heightened sense of inner turmoil. Unlike the conventional harmonic resolutions of his predecessors, Scriabin’s use of unresolved dissonances and chromatic saturation reflects an expressive intensity that foreshadows his later, more radical harmonic language. I will focus on No. 1 and No. 8, analyzing their structure, musical imagery, and harmonic color to show how Scriabin’s early style reflects broader aesthetic shifts at the end of the Romantic era.