Five Preludes, Op. 74

Leonid Sabaneyev cites the composer with the following words: "These quints are really creating a totally new sentiment, don't you think? [...] These harmonies are less resonant here, but look how highly psychologically difficult it has become. [...] Here reigns a blazing heat like in the [astral] desert. [...] and here again this longing urge [he played the chromatically descending melody line] [...] You know, this Prelude gives the impression as if it would last for centuries, even eternally, millions of years." - "The piece can be played in two ways. Either coloured by manifold nuances, or, quite the opposite, completely uniform, without the least shading. [...] in one single piece, there are multiple ones laid out, a multiplicity of the composition." - "Until now I always composed so that the interpretation of a piece was only possible in one way [...] Now I want it to be possible to be played in totally different ways, like a crystal can reflect totally different rays of light." - He said, quietly and hauntingly, "This is death! This is death as this emanation of the female which leads to unification [...] death and love [...] this is the abyss." This is not music", said [Sabaneev] to him, "this is something else..." - "This is the Mysterium," he said softly.