LIFE
-1882-1971
-born in a summer resort town near St. Petersburg (aka Leningrad), Russia
-father was the leading bass at the Imperial Opera, mother amateur singer and pianist
-taught piano, but only at an amateur level-parents wanted him to study law
-studied music alongside law at St. Petersburg University and intended to enter the Conservatory
-1902 submitted compositions to famed Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov, dropped out of law to study with the composer for 3 years
-1906 married his first cousin
-music was heard by Paris based 'Russian Ballet' impresario Serge Diaghilev
-commissioned to write a score for The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu) performed in 1910
-1911 Petrushka followed the successful Firebird and Stravinsky began The Rite of Spring
-1913 opening night in Paris riots-audience thought score was a 'blasphemous attempt to destroy music as art', in future performed as an orchestral work not a ballet
-1914 WWI-Stravinsky fled to Switzerland-wrote smaller scale works due to lack of availability of musicians
-1920 Russian Revolution-moved to France until 1939-travelled throughout Europe as a performer and conductor of his own works, collaborated with Diaghilev and Picasso
-1939 invited to deliver a series of lectures at Harvard (wife died after long illness)
-1940 WWII-moved to Los Angeles, 1945 became an American citizen, remarried
-Robert Craft-writing collaborator, librettist, biographer and friend
-Craft met Stravinsky in 1948, and from then until the composer's death in 1971, Craft continued to work alongside Stravinsky in a variety of roles. A relationship that started as out with Craft in a rather modest role eventually evolved into a full blown artistic partnership. Craft wrote the libretto for The Flood, and lived with the Stravinsky family in California and later in New York. Craft continued to remain close to the composer's widow Vera until her death in 1982.
-1950s and 1960s global concert tours
-1969 moved to New York
-born in a summer resort town near St. Petersburg (aka Leningrad), Russia
-father was the leading bass at the Imperial Opera, mother amateur singer and pianist
-taught piano, but only at an amateur level-parents wanted him to study law
-studied music alongside law at St. Petersburg University and intended to enter the Conservatory
-1902 submitted compositions to famed Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov, dropped out of law to study with the composer for 3 years
-1906 married his first cousin
-music was heard by Paris based 'Russian Ballet' impresario Serge Diaghilev
-commissioned to write a score for The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu) performed in 1910
-1911 Petrushka followed the successful Firebird and Stravinsky began The Rite of Spring
-1913 opening night in Paris riots-audience thought score was a 'blasphemous attempt to destroy music as art', in future performed as an orchestral work not a ballet
-1914 WWI-Stravinsky fled to Switzerland-wrote smaller scale works due to lack of availability of musicians
-1920 Russian Revolution-moved to France until 1939-travelled throughout Europe as a performer and conductor of his own works, collaborated with Diaghilev and Picasso
-1939 invited to deliver a series of lectures at Harvard (wife died after long illness)
-1940 WWII-moved to Los Angeles, 1945 became an American citizen, remarried
-Robert Craft-writing collaborator, librettist, biographer and friend
-Craft met Stravinsky in 1948, and from then until the composer's death in 1971, Craft continued to work alongside Stravinsky in a variety of roles. A relationship that started as out with Craft in a rather modest role eventually evolved into a full blown artistic partnership. Craft wrote the libretto for The Flood, and lived with the Stravinsky family in California and later in New York. Craft continued to remain close to the composer's widow Vera until her death in 1982.
-1950s and 1960s global concert tours
-1969 moved to New York
STYLE
-continually evolved
-post-Impressionism of Firebird, primitivism of Rite of Spring, neo-classicism of later works, serialism experiments at end of career
1)Early Russian Years (1882-1914): folk like Russian nationalism, rich orchestration
-Primitivism: furious dynamic power, driving rhythms, unpredictable accents, changing meter, polytonality, nationalist elements
2) Transitional Years (1914-20): simpler compositions while in Switzerland
3) Neo-Classical period (1920-1952): opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex adaptation of Sophocles Greek tradegy, Symphony of Psalms, and The Rake's Progress uses set forms of Mozartean opera, absolute forms and Classical restraint
4) Serialism: works written after 1952 became more serial, use of 12 tone system and minimalism, Agon ballet and Threni choral work, miniature works
-post-Impressionism of Firebird, primitivism of Rite of Spring, neo-classicism of later works, serialism experiments at end of career
1)Early Russian Years (1882-1914): folk like Russian nationalism, rich orchestration
-Primitivism: furious dynamic power, driving rhythms, unpredictable accents, changing meter, polytonality, nationalist elements
2) Transitional Years (1914-20): simpler compositions while in Switzerland
3) Neo-Classical period (1920-1952): opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex adaptation of Sophocles Greek tradegy, Symphony of Psalms, and The Rake's Progress uses set forms of Mozartean opera, absolute forms and Classical restraint
4) Serialism: works written after 1952 became more serial, use of 12 tone system and minimalism, Agon ballet and Threni choral work, miniature works
WORKS
-orchestral music: symphonies, concertos
-ballets: including L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird 1910), Petrushka (1911), Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring 1913), Agnon (1957)
-operas: including The Rake's Progress (1951), opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (1927)
-choral music: including Symphony of Psalms (1930), Threni (1958)
-chamber music, piano music, songs
-ballets: including L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird 1910), Petrushka (1911), Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring 1913), Agnon (1957)
-operas: including The Rake's Progress (1951), opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex (1927)
-choral music: including Symphony of Psalms (1930), Threni (1958)
-chamber music, piano music, songs
TERMS
-folk song: traditional music, passed down for centuries, author is unknown
-Petrushka chord: polychord, C+ and F#+ simultaneously
-flutter tongue: flute technique
-commedia dell'arte: improvised comedy tradition with comon characters
-hurdy gurdy: a portable string instrument used by street musicians, box with a crank
-Petrushka chord: polychord, C+ and F#+ simultaneously
-flutter tongue: flute technique
-commedia dell'arte: improvised comedy tradition with comon characters
-hurdy gurdy: a portable string instrument used by street musicians, box with a crank