Five Dragons, for two percussion and piano includes one Score.
Print size: Letter (8.5 x 11")
Review from Percussive Notes (2026):
Adding to the recent publications of hidden relics from the Percussion Group Cincinnati’s performance catalog, Media Press has released “Five Dragons,” a trio setting of Alexander Scriabin’s solo piano work, “Five Preludes, Op. 74.” Mark Saya’s transcription arranges the original 1914 solo for a pianist and two vibraphonists with added percussion sprinkled in for color. Scriabin’s “Five Preludes” is the last work he completed before he died, highlighting some of the most extreme examples of his chromaticism and harmonic exploration during the latter part of his life, all while surrounding the listener with a dark and brooding aura the entire seven minutes.
Saya gives every movement of the original a new title depicting a dragon from Jorge Luis Borges’ The Book of Imaginary Beings, each with its own characteristics and purpose. For example, the first movement is newly named “Celestial” for the celestial dragon that holds the palaces of gods in the skies. This imagery is enhanced through the addition of delicate glockenspiel notes outlining chords and figures from the source material. The second movement — titled “Subterranean” for the dragon that lives under the earth’s surface — incorporates a lion’s roar in the beginning to add depth to the already cavernous and drudging piano line. The vibraphone parts are frequently direct adaptations, splitting lead lines and supporting voices, which gives the performers more control over clarity of melody versus accompanying lines across three players.
The most interesting setting might be the fourth movement. Here, the “Divine” represents the dragon that provides the breeze and rain that brings life to the world. Saya paints this image by removing the piano, allowing the colors of the vibraphones to sustain the movement, with the pianist lightly rolling on a suspended cymbal throughout. The final movement creates a nice overall arc to the piece by returning to the first movement’s instrumentation.
Saya’s transcription was written partly in celebration of a new instrument added to the inventory of his employing university, Loyola Marymount: a 4-octave vibraphone. This presents a few challenges for those who do not have access to the extended range instrument; however, Saya provides plenty of alternative options for performers if they only have access to standard-range instruments. Only one note requires the higher range, but a substantial amount of the piece utilizes the lower octave, so having one low-C (3.5 or 4-octave) vibraphone would greatly enhance the depth and resonance of the piece to more closely match the range and musical intent of the original piano solo.
—Matthew Geiger
