A more modern Russian composer was Alexander Scriabin. He was born in 1872, and lived to meet great musicians like Rachmaninoff and Horowitz, whom were influenced by his work and played them often. He was initially a melodic composer in the line of Chopin, yet he developed his own musical character turning the piano into a percussion instrument, as Horowitz described it. His later works were driven by a poetic and mystical vision of music, where Scriabin linked colours to notes and chords, making him a unique composer amongst all of the great Russian writers. As a note of interest, Scriabin’s last five sonatas were written without a key signature, solidifying his desire to experiment with music; he helped transcend music from tonal to harmonic.
He predicted a great career for the young Horowitz, who visited him shortly before he died. His Etude Op. 8 No. 12 in D-Sharp minor (“Patetico”) is a riveting piece full of examples of Scriabin’s genius. It is quite hard to play, and one can easily perceive the desperate nature of the Patetico piece. It is a study for octaves, jumps, repetitive chord strikes, and massive stretches. There is little respite throughout the work until the very end, as you can see in this excellent video of Horowitz during his prime.