The Life and Times of Igor Stravinsky

By Caitlin Collins

Background Born on July 18th on 1882 in

Oraienbaum, Russia Third of four children 3 brothers: Roman, Youry, and Goury Married to his first cousin, Catherine,

on January 24th, 1906

Childhood Avid reader Began to learn piano at the age of 9 Came to know the work of Rimsky-

Korsakov Relationship with his father was usually

a hostile one At 16, Stravinsky began to attend

many operas the Maryinsky Theatre

Growing Up Despite his musical interest he

attended St. Petersburg University from 1901-1905.

Criminal law and legal philosophy. His father died in 1902 Rimsky-Korsakov encouraged him to

take music lessons

How He Got Started Private lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov

for six years› Father figure in Stravinsky’s life› First music teacher

Began to develop his own music style Stravinsky tried to expose himself to

the concert life of St. Petersburg › Found it dull and uninteresting for the most

part

“The Firebird” Diaghilev invited Stravinsky to write

the score for “The Firebird” (ballet) First international success Use of irregular rhythms and harsh

dissonances Used fantasy

“The Firebird”

“Petrushka” Based on Russian folklore Choreographer- Folkine

› Also choreographed “The Firebird” It was a success Introduced to the dancer Vaslav

Nijinsky

Petrushka

“The Rite of Spring” Used fantasy Ninjinsky was appointed the

choreographer One of the most complex pieces of music Premier was an uproar due to the music

and dancing Riot broke out between Pro-Stravinsky

and Anti-Stravinsky and about 50 people were taken into custody

“The Rite of Spring” Stravinsky blamed the failure of the

first performance on the failure of Nijinsky to coordinate the dancers in such a way that accompanied the music.

Performed a few more times April 5th, 1914: concert performance

was given in Paris and was a success

“The Rite of Spring”

WWI During the war he was cut off from

Russia and was staying in Switzerland Composed many Russian folk works to

sooth his homesickness “Les Noces”- precedent for “Histoire du

soldat”

“Histoire du soldat” Completely new venture 4 main reasons

› First work created in the absence of Dhiagilev’s contribution

› Presented as a traveling theatre with two or three characters and a small number of instruments

› Turned away from Russian folk influences› Admits jazz into his work

“Histoire du Soldat” After “Histoire du Soldat” he continued

to change his musical style He was recomposing incomplete

fragments of early music

After the War “Pulcinella” was the last work he

composed in Switzerland. Went back to Paris Marked the end of his “Russian” works Remade Tchaikovsky's ballet, “The

Sleeping Beauty” Music was taking a step toward

neoclassicism and structure in an instrumental peice

Tryin’ New Things Began to write purely instrumental

pieces Began to conduct his own pieces and

play the piano Began to travel First appeared in America in 1925

› Greeted by praise and full houses

Decisions, Decisions Didn’t know what language to write his

next dramatic work in Decided on Latin and chose a classical

Greek myth for the subject. “Oedipus Rex” Opera oratorio- opera sung to the

audience rather than the characters. Not much of a success

“The Fairy’s Kiss” Ballet based on a fairy tale by Hans

Anderson White ballet- the art is revealed in all

its purity, without dramatic conflicts or contrasts

First work Stravinsky had done with a company other than the Ballets Russes.

Religious Works Next development was religious works. “Symphony of Psalms”- Large scale

symphonic piece Began to work with composition of

works for a solo instrument

Coming to America Sept. 20th 1939 Stravinsky arrived in

New York City to live in America March 9th 1940 He married Vera Bosset

and they settles in Los Angeles› Stravinsky was 58

Asked to do movie scores, but he never did any

“Danses Concertantes” – Abstract ballet

Composed more religious works› “Babel” and “The Ode”

“Babel”-First time Stravinsky used an English text

Went back to abstract ballet- “Scenes de Ballet”

Death Died in 1971 Stravinsky continued to compose until

his death Death caused by a series of illnesses

Works Cited"Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.google.com/search?

hl=en>.

 "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en>.

 "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en>.

 "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.google.com/search?num=10>.

 "Igor Stravinsky." Igor Stravinsky. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.richeast.org/htwm/2003/to/igor.html>.

"Igor Stravinsky." Music History 102. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/twen/stravinsky.html>.