Alexander Scriabin completed his 2 Dances, Op. 73 in 1914. This composer can be a frustrating subject because so much that is written about him is presented in a proselytizing manner. His enraptured, messianic personality was a kind of after-tremor following the excesses of the Romantic cult of personality from the nineteenth century, encouraged this way of approaching him as a written subject. The painter Dali had a comparable demeanor. These two dances, written one year before the Russian composer's death, reveal further why; the dreaminess of his near-atonal harmonies, his melodies have a Wandering Prophet nature that is genuinely cohesive in a shadowy, deceptive way. Alert listeners will hear the influence of Debussy immediately, who once claimed that the rules of harmony were "his pleasure." This sounds like the statement of an artist who understands the profound value of his own work. He did, but in comparison to Scriabin, the French composer assumed nothing. Scriabin's sound reflects his delusional egomania, which somehow does not impact on his music in a negative way. Brushing aside the insane degree of his self-importance, the texture he was able to maintain effectively was absorbing, and astonishingly well sustained throughout the composition.

The first of these 2 Dances is like a lesson in musical undercurrent. A lush, unhurried manner commands the pace to reveal an actual dance rhythm only after close listening. These floating harmonies and melodies (equally roundabout) probably only work because they do have an actual anchor. Dance music has been molded into art music for since before musicians have been able to effectively notate it. This level of transformation, into a heightened, cerebral level of almost-rhythm, almost-harmony, and almost-melody, shows deep merit and does not pale after several hearings. The second dance shows something else that is unexpected, a clear reference to the Op. 1 Piano Sonata by Berg. Both works begin in a comparable way (Berg's work first appeared in 1907) and Scriabin treats it to another of his stunning, if faintly lunatic, transfigurations. It is difficult to determine where he heard the Viennese piece, unless Scriabin stumbled upon an identical theme completely on his own and developed it separately. Researchers in the field of Scriabin (the antithesis of Bach scholars) are more likely to dwell upon his astrological charts than what contemporaries influenced him. The Russian encouraged this sort of fanciful, awed attention. It is difficult to understand why, because his music can be wonderful. For those who are interested in getting to know the music of Scriabin, later music such as the 2 Dances, Op. 73 is the best place to start. His originality became more obvious as his work matured. Unfortunately, one will find little to read to further one's understanding of the music's background. Fortunately, some writers have made some welcome, readable contributions on the subject of Scriabin, perhaps to prove that such a thing is possible.

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