Igor Stravinsky

Ustylug Vol-Volynskyi Volynska-Stravinskyi house after reconstruction in 2013-left view

Rimsky-Korsakov Serow crop

Bakst Diaghilev

Katya Stravinskaya 1907

Igor Stravinsky as drawn by Pablo Picasso 31 Dec 1920 - Gallica

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (17 June [O.S. 5 June] 1882 – 6 April 1971) was a Russian-born composer, pianist, and conductor who is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. His diverse musical style drew from a wide range of influences, including Russian folk music, the works of fellow composers such as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Claude Debussy, and Arnold Schoenberg, as well as jazz and the neoclassical movement.

Biography

Early Life

Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), a suburb of Saint Petersburg, the Russian Empire, to a family of Polish and Russian heritage. His father, Fyodor Stravinsky, was a well-known bass at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and his mother, Anna, was a competent amateur singer and pianist who had once studied music in Saint Petersburg.

Education and Early Career

Stravinsky began piano lessons as a young boy and soon started to study music theory and composition. Despite his early passion for music, his parents expected him to study law. Stravinsky enrolled at the University of Saint Petersburg in 1901 but attended fewer classes, focusing instead on his music studies. He became a pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov after the latter's death in 1908, Stravinsky was virtually self-taught.

Rise to Fame

Stravinsky's breakthrough came with the premiere of The Firebird in 1910, a ballet commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Paris-based Ballets Russes. This success was followed by two more ballets for Diaghilev, Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913), the latter of which provoked one of the most famous riots in music history at its premiere but later was recognized as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.

Later Years and Death

After the Russian Revolution, Stravinsky lived in Switzerland, France, and eventually the United States, where he became a citizen in 1945. His work continued to evolve, embracing a wide variety of styles, including neoclassicism and serialism. Stravinsky's health declined in the late 1960s, and he died in New York City in 1971 at the age of 88.

Musical Style and Legacy

Stravinsky's music is noted for its stylistic diversity. He first achieved fame with his ballet scores, which are marked by their rhythmic energy and use of orchestral color. His work from the 1920s, often considered neoclassical, drew from earlier Western music traditions, including those of the Baroque and Classical eras. In his later years, he explored serial techniques, though he never abandoned his distinct sense of rhythm and melody.

Stravinsky's influence on subsequent composers and the wider musical world cannot be overstated. He is credited with revolutionizing musical thought through his achievements in rhythm, harmony, and orchestration. His works remain central to the repertoire of concert halls and ballet companies around the world.

Selected Works

• The Firebird (1910)
• Petrushka (1911)
• The Rite of Spring (1913)
• Symphony of Psalms (1930)
• Agon (1957)

See Also

• Russian music
• Modernism (music)
• Neoclassicism (music)
• Serialism