The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-14
nv ". =.

witch to follow tho method o.
~ Turgeniey IN giving names'
composed n work called
"Prometheus. the Poem Of Fire II
was first performed IN Moscow under
the direction OF Sergei Kussewitzy on
March IL. 1911. In Germany II was
produced under Ernest Wendell in Br"-
men in March Of the next year. and
the Queens Han Orchestra introduced
tn To- London February |. 1913. II was
first performed in this country by the
chicago orchestra under Frederick
stock ON the hfth day OF the present
month. and II is to be made known 10
this city by the Russian symphony
Orchestra, Modest Altschuler conduc-
tor. on saturday evening. March 20.
All this history IL called forth Ny
the fact that Scriabin's symphonic
poem. or whatever one may chose TO
call 1t. is unique IN more than on"
way. An article printed in this place
On NoNtilbfl IL lH~l hNNtllN~'u VI WY
Scrisbin's ventures IN tho field OF
harmony. but for the momen thos"
may be- put aside in order that & more
obvious popularity Of tn" Prone
theus" may be noted. In this work the
composer has endpaVored to effect an
organic union between music and olo
u operate upon " senses at In"
same instant. We are to SEQ sound
and hear colors perhaps, AZ ans
rate we are To he influenced by them
simultaneously.
For this purpo-- he has Invented
what he calls a color piano tC.avier a
ldmieresj. which whon its keys are
pressed dOwn throws colorcd lights on
"A screen. The note & j. represented
by red. G by rosy orange, - yellow, \
green. r dark red, and So forward
Naturally double notes and churds
give us mixtures OF lights. In Mos
low and In London the color piano
was not ready for use and the work
was given without the lights, the color
c.avier was omitted also IN tn" CHI
ago performance. In the Russian
symphony production IN" lishts Will
lie shown.
The combination OF coIur"d lights
with music is not new. Years ago that
section OF the rarcfed world of Paris
which makes excursions INTO the
gloom of the intangible attended n
performance in which music, colOrs
md perfumes operated together. II
was in 1872. at the Theatre d'Art.
and the plan embraced drama. The
great work OF the time was The Song
uf Songs" The JOY Of the Shulamite
was conveyed by scenery whose basic
lint was bright orange, the music was
~ ID and the theatre was pcrtumcd
with spray Of white violet. For the
meeting Of the king and queen IN"
scenery was purple, the music in {
md the perfume was nccus". II l.
lot necessary to go into further de-
sCriptiOn. for the reader can readilN
discern the differences hctween This
.dea and Scriahin's. bat the fundamon-
ial conceptions are the same.
SCriabin, who makes theoSophy a
part of his musical world, Is precisely
he sort of mind 10 revive an art of
This type. For him art ~ nothing IL
not %symbolical. II is his misfortune
~ course that he Is compelled IA APP
DtHl W SUI lllillN 'A''''N '''''''' ''
minds. However. hr has not been
entirely alone in his now venture.
The now art of mobil" oolor or
color music * o. On which many
eminent musicians and scientists
have been AT work for SOM" years,
Notable among them has been y,
Wallace Riminglun, professor Of Tine
arts. Queens college, London, H." la
devised a number Of instruments by
means of which the color effects are
produced and the analugics hctwe"n
musical notes and color values may
lee studied. lie has given an interest
ing presentation ~ the new arr in
mis- book entitled "Color Music. The
Art of Mobile Color"
In his investigation he has assumed
The color spectrum 10 h" divided into
twelve substantially equal GRADIENT
~ color. each color gradient being rep
.Ventod bv q definite note - the Chro-
<Atic scale. 'hr lowest spectrum red
NelnC mad to correspond 10 the lower
q of tho chromatic scale on tho color
greyhound and the extreme violet to n