One of the first justifications in Russian literature for the phenomenon of “Light Sound” is given in K. D. Balmont’s essay “Light Sound in Nature and Scriabin’s Light Symphony.” Interpreting this concept broadly, the author also uses it as a synonym for “colour hearing,” which becomes obvious, for example, from the following lines: “Rimsky-Korsakov’s yellow light sound coincides with Scriabin’s yellow. Rimsky-Korsakov’s blue appears in Scriabin as blue, and greyish-green as blue. This is identity, kinship and similarity. Rimsky-Korsakov’s green light-sound appears as red in Scriabin. This is a restored identity” (Balmont K.D. Light sound in nature and Scriabin’s light symphony. Moscow: Music Mag. Russian Music Publishing House, 1917. p. 19).
Links to Third-Party Publications:
Balmont K. D. Light and sound in nature and Scriabin’s light symphony. Moscow: Music Mag. Ross. music publishing house, 1917. 24 p.; Kolganova O. Work plan of the Department of Theory and History of Music in the field of “light and sound” (State Institute of Art History, 1920s) // The Art of Sound and Light: Galeev Readings: Materials of the International Research and Practice Conference (Kazan, July 3–6, 2025) / “Bulat Galeev–Prometheus” Foundation; ed.-comp. A. B. Maksimova, ed. O. V. Kolganova. – Kazan: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, 2025. pp. 154–160.
