Born:
June 17,1882
Birthplace:
Lomonosov, near St. Petersburg, Russia
Died:
April 6, 1971, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Also Known As:
Russian composer of the 20th century who introduced the concept of modernism in music. His full name was Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky.
Type of Compositions:
He wrote music for the opera, vocal and instrumental pieces, ballet, cantata, Neoclassical works, oratorio and sacred music.
Influence:
He was very much influenced by his father who was one of the foremost Russian operatic basses. He studied music theory and piano as a young boy and attended St. Petersburg. Stravinsky also learned orchestration through the guidance of composer Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. He was also influenced by the works of Balakirev and Tchaikovsky.
Notable Works:
Some of his well-known works are: "The Firebird," "The Rite of Spring," "The Wedding," "Renard," "Symphonies of Wind Instruments," "Octet for Wind Instruments," "Serenade in A for piano," "Violin Concerto in D Major," "Concerto in E-flat," "Oedipus Rex," "Persephone,' "Symphony in C,' "Symphony in Three Movements," "The Rake's Progress" and "Requiem Canticles."
Interesting Facts:
Stravinsky studied law and philosophy at St. Petersburg University. In 1939, he delivered a lecture at Harvard University. He had 4 children with his first wife, Katerina Nossenko, his cousin. He and his second wife, Vera Soudeikine, would become U.S. citizens in 1945 and lived in California.
Stravinsky wrote several scores for the impresario and founder of the Ballet Russes, Sergei Diagheliv; these include "The Firebird" "Petrushka" and "The Rite of Spring." In 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées, a riot ensued during the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring."
Related Video:
Watch Igor Stravinsky as he conducts "Lullaby and the Final Hymn" from "The Firebird" courtesy of YouTube.