Igor Stravinsky

Early Life Before becoming a composer Born in the Town of Oranienbaum and raised in St. Petersburg. Attended University of St. Petersburg (1901) Took Piano lessons as a child Met Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1903)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Stravinksy's Mentor Master of Orchestration Leading member of the Russian “Five” Composers Organized Concerts for students including stravinsky

Life as a Composer Earlier works Feu d'artifice (Fireworks) (1908) Sherzo Fantasique (1908) Romance for Voice and Piano (1902) Two melodies (1908)

Sergei Diaghilev Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario, and founder of the Ballet Russes Recognized Stravinky's talents as a composer Stravinky's Friend and first employer

The Firebird First ballet Stravinsky did for Ballet Russes Considered Stravinky's breakthrough work Based on Russian Folklore Story about a mythical Bird that is a both cure and blessing on it's captor

Petrushka Second Ballet for the Ballet Russes Featured “petrushka chord” invented by Stravinsky himself Story about a Puppet brought to life and falls in love with a ballerina.

The Rite of Spring Third ballet done for Ballet Russes Stravinky's Most Recognized work Started a riot on night of premier Based on Russian Folklore

The Rite of Spring 00:01The Piece begins with a bassoon playing in a high register, it almost sounds like the bassoon is playing backwards. 00:13Other woodwinds join in with the bassoon, playing a counterpoint, this continues for the rest of the introduction 02:36The strings make their fist appearance, playing a pizzicato styled theme. 02:39The Bassoon plays his famous tune again, this feels like the eye of the storm. 02:49The strings come back in, interrupting the bassoon. 02:39 A tune is played that sounds like the bassoon is finally giving up. 3:11The strings begin to play a very powerful rhythm. Reaching to a dynamic that hasn't been heard yet in the piece. 3:33Woodwinds play a counterpoint to the the rhythm. This just adds to the madness. 3:46The wood winds play very rapidly spinning you into a vortex of sound. 4:26The Brass section plays a loud blast and the percussion thunder out some descending beats. 4:36The woodwinds carry on and keep up the disjointed melody. 4:44The string continue their pizzicato motif. 04:51A lone horn plays a tune above all the rest of the instruments.

The Rite of Spring 04:54 A flute plays a counterpoint to the horn. 05:02 A clarinet plays a menacing theme in a high register. 05:10 Flutes come back in and play a more hopeful melody in the foreground. All the while the rhythm continues. 05:20 A real dissonant passage begins with multiple instruments playing all at once. 05:24 A release is brought in by a very pagan sounding melody played by the woodwinds. 05:58 The dissonance returns and the tempo is picked back up. 06:20 Then almost like coming up for air, the passage ends with a high note being played by the horns. 06:24 This only lasts but for a moment as we a plunged back into the madness by the woodwinds return 07:38A flute comes in to save us from the storm by fluttering into the foreground. 07:44More woodwinds enter, playing for the first time since the intro that has a semblance of sanity. 08:12The low evil sounding strings comes in. playing a foreboding phrase in minor. 08:50Violins and violas come in playing a lamenting tune for a counterpoint.

The Rite of Spring 09:01The brass follows suit with a similar phrase. All the while low drum beats keep the order from the back ground. 09:47Loud drums signal a change in the dynamic and the whole piece is now louder. 09:59The brass blares out loud notes threatening the only harmony left in the piece. 10:23Shrill notes are played from the woodwinds. 10:24The dissonant strings return again. 10:58Woodwinds play a disjointed melody over the top of the dissonance created by the strings. 11:16The brass pulls us back down again into the insanity, with loud blaring notes 11:18The drums hammer in to drive the dissonance to a new high. 12:12The passages have become fragmented now. 12:45The strings play the only recognizable tune at this point in the foreground. 13:09What sounds like a gong is thundering out in the distance, this only confuses the rhythm further.

The Rite of Spring 13:21And if the sound couldn't become anymore stressful the dynamic is yet again increased with the brass climbing even higher and louder. 13:40With a stunning silence all sound disappears all at once. 13:43Woodwinds return with some chords being played by the strings. 13:59Very faint horrific note being played by the strings. 14:02Then Driving its way forward percussion comes back with a rhythm that gallops right towards the foreground. 14:05Sound erupts like a volcano and the brass returns with a pizzicato theme again. 14:39Strings continue their theme of dissonance. 15:06The end of part 1 comes out of no where all at once. And we a quickly brought to part 2 after a few moments of silence.

Life in Switzerland Married his first cousin: Yekatrina Gabrielovna Nossenko Completed Compositions for Ballet Russes Events Of “Bloody Sunday” prevented Stravinsky from Returning Home to Russia

Life in France Began working for Pleyel Piano company Reworked earlier compositions for player piano Began affair with Vera de Bosset Yekatrina Died of tuberculosis (1935) World War II Forced Stravinsky to leave (1940)

Coming to America Married Vera de Bosset in Bedford Massachusetts Arrested for Tampering with the National Anthem Eventually Moved to Hollywood California Returned to Russia for the first time in over thirty years Retired to New York City, Died in 1917

Bibliography Whiting, Jim. The Life and Times of Igor Stravinsky (Masters of Music). Delaware: Mitchell Lane Pub Inc Oliver, Micheal. Igor Stravinsky (20th Century Composers) New york: Phaidon Press Inc Stravinsky, Igor. An Autobiography New york: W. W. Norton & Company 1998 Schwartz, Steve.

Legacy Considered one of the most influential composers of the 20 th century Compositions Span Styles, languages, and periods Influenced artists from many disciplines including Pablo Picasso