Scriabin’s first completed Symphony, divided into six movements:

Mv.1 : Lento
Mv.2 : Allegro drammatico
Mv.3 : Lento
Mv.4 : Vivace
Mv.5 : Allegro
Mv.6 : Andante

Scriabin used an extended orchestra as well a full choir for the final movement - a gigantic “Ode to Art” written by himself, much like Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” in his Symphonie No.9. As with Beethoven, this final movement was initially deemed unperformable, and some conductors refused to include it. Consequently, the premiere of the work featured only five movements.

Through this symphony, Scriabin begins to articulate his own philosophy, inspired in part by Nietzsche: an individualist vision of the creator-man, the artistic-man, enlightened in his beatitude, united with the cosmos, and becoming a prophet for the rest of humanity. “I am God!” The work received the Glinka Prize and was highly acclaimed in its time.

The first movement opens in an almost impressionistic manner: a sunset slowly rises over nature, with bird-like trills and a dreamlike orchestral atmosphere inherited from Wagner. The second movement is more tormented, in constant motion, driven by Scriabin’s signature, unrelenting energy. The third movement takes the form of a grand nocturne—idyllic and serene—while the fourth continues the pastoral character, but with far more playfulness. The fifth movement returns to the agitation of the second, with a narrative, symphonic buildup reminiscent of Liszt’s symphonic poems. The final movement restores the peaceful mood—a colossal vocal fugue in praise of art, concluding with an abyssal grandeur comparable to the symphonies of Mahler.