The Firebird SuiteComposed by: Igor Stravinsky

What inferences can we make?Where is he from?

(Country)What do we know about "Firebirds"?

What is "Mythology"?

Igor Stravinsky

● Was a Russian (and later, a naturalized French and American) composer, pianist and conductor.

● Born on June 17th, 1882, and was brought up in Saint Petersburg.

● 2015-1882 = 133 years ago

Igor Stravinsky● His father was a bass

singer at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and his mother was an amateur singer and pianist.

● His parents wanted him to study law, but Igor wanted to be a musician (like Tchaikovsky)

Igor Stravinsky

● He is widely considered to be one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century, but he wasn’t extremely popular at first becaaaauuusee….

● His music was considered very “avante garde”.

What’s “Avant Garde”a·vant-gardeˌaväntˈɡärd/

noun1. 1.

2. new and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them.

3. "works by artists of the Russian avant-garde"

adjective1. 1.

2. favoring or introducing experimental or unusual ideas.

3. "a controversial avant-garde composer"

Igor Stravinsky

● Stravinsky was a young, virtually unknown composer when Diaghilev (ballet director) recruited him to create works for the Ballets Russes.

● The Firebird was his first project.

Ballet

Podcast Ballet

Igor Stravinsky● This ballet is important not

just because it was Stravinsky's breakthrough piece, but also because it was the beginning of the collaboration between Diaghilev and Stravinsky that would also produce the ballets Petrushka and The Rite of Spring.

The Ballet● written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes● When the ballet was first performed on 25 June 1910, it was an instant

success with both audience and critics.

○ The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird that can be both a blessing and a curse to its owner.

○ The hero of the story is Prince

Ivan, who enters the magical

realm of Kashchei the

Immortal.

○ While wandering in the

gardens, he sees and chases

the Firebird (Phoenix).

The Firebird, once caught by Ivan, begs for its life and finally agrees to assist Ivan in exchange for freedom.

Next, Prince Ivan sees 13 princesses, and he falls in love with one of them.

● The next day, Ivan

confronts Kashchei to ask

to marry one of the

princesses; the two talk

and eventually begin

quarreling.

● When Kashchei sends his magical

creatures after Ivan, the Firebird keeps

its pledge and intervenes, bewitching

the creatures and making them dance

an elaborate, energetic dance (the

"Infernal Dance").

● The creatures and Kashchei then fall

asleep; however, Kashchei awakens

and is then sent into another dance by

the Firebird.

● While Kashchei is bewitched, the Firebird tells Ivan the secret to Kashchei's immortality – his soul is contained inside an enormous, magical egg.

● Ivan destroys the egg, killing Kashchei. ● With Kashchei gone and his spell broken, the

magical creatures and the palace all disappear.

All of the "real" beings, including the princesses, awaken and with one final hint of the Firebird's music celebrate their victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yh3IvQ-o-I

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