The Philosopher and the Pianist behind Alexander Scriabin’s Early Piano Music
by Xuefei Liu
A thesis submitted to the Moores School of Music, Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts
in Piano Performance
Chair of Committee: Paul A. Bertagnolli
Committee Member: Tali Morgulis
Committee Member: John L. Snyder
Committee Member: Todd Van Kekerix
University of Houston May 2021 Copyright 2021, Xuefei Liu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to make a brief comment on the history of my research and I am grateful to those who have influenced or helped me along the way. My first exposure to Scriabin’s music came from my first piano teacher back in China, Mr. Xu Ning, who assigned me the Etude in C-sharp minor, op. 42, no. 5. During my undergraduate years, I came to admire Vladimir Horowitz’s performance of the Etude in D-sharp minor, op. 8, no. 12, recorded at the famous Carnegie Hall recital in 1968. The profoundly expressive harmonies and the dazzling tone colors of this music were a source of endless fascination to me. Through my study over the years, I became familiar with other works of Scriabin, and I have learned and performed many of his works.
I would like to express my sincerest thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Paul A. Bertagnolli and all members of my research committee, Dr. Tali Morgulis, Dr. John L. Snyder, and Dr.
Todd Van Kekerix for their patience and advice during this journey. I have been fortunate to have a committee with a vast amount of experience and knowledge in all fields relevant to my thesis. In the early stage of my research, I worked with Dr. Barbara Rose
Lange, and I am extremely grateful for her support. Without their guidance, this thesis would not have come to fruition. I would also like to thank the staff at the Moores School of Music Library, especially Ms. Madelyn Shackelford Washington, who helped me with research materials during the Covid-19 pandemic.
My heart-felt thanks to all my applied teachers throughout my college years, Dr. Tali
Morgulis, Mr. André-Michel Schub, and Dr. John Olsen. My debt to them is evident