Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971 ) Russian

         Igor Stravinsky  (Wikipedia article)

         List of Stravinsky's Compositions


Who was Stravinsky?

Stravinsky's compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity.  He first achieved 

international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario Serge Diaghilev and 

first performed in Paris by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), 

and The Rite of Spring (1913).  The latter transformed the way in which subsequent composers 

thought about rhythmic structure and was largely responsible for Stravinsky's enduring reputation 

as a musical revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical design. 

This "Russian phase" which continued with works such as Renard, the Soldier's Tale and 

Les Noces, was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassicism.  

The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto grosso, 

fugue and symphony), drawing on earlier styles, especially from the 18th century. 

In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures.  His compositions of this period shared traits 

with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, the construction of extended melodic ideas 
out of a few two- or three-note cells and clarity of form, and of instrumentation.

Selected Work:

        Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments   (1924)  (22:40)

                 Alexander Toradze, piano, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Dima Slobodeniouk, cond.