The Music of

1
The Music of Igor Stravinsky
2
Paris, May 1913
3
(No Transcript)
4
Rite
Stravinsky
The Rite of Spring
5
NOT!
6
Stravinsky
The Rite of Spring
7
Igor Stravinsky
8
I. Stravinskys Sound Worlds Influences
A. Ballet Music (Petrushka)
B. Music of Classical Pd. (Symphony in C)
C. Russian Folk Music (The Wedding)
D. Russian Orthodox Music (Credo, 1932)
E. Schoenbergs Serialism (Elegy for J. F. K.)
F. Jazz/Popular Music (Russian Scherzo)
9
II. Stravinsky I Russian Period (1910-20)
A. Stravinskys Dates 1882-1971
B. Musical Education w. Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Russian Folk Elements (Nationalism)

• Late Romantic Orchestration

C. Serge Diaghilev and the Ballet Russé (1910-13)
The Firebird/
Petrushka
/The Rite of Spring

• All 3 based on Russian Folk Tales

• All 3 incorporate Russian Folk Melodies

• All 3 use large Romantic-Style Orchestra

D. The Firebird 1910

• Late Romanticism/Tonal Harmony

• Innovation Passages use Octatonic Scale

10
Octatonic Scale Alternates Whole Steps ½ Steps
c
f
g
a
d
c
dc
e
g
a
b
c
f
11
II. Russian Period (1910-20), cont.
E. Petrushka (1911)

• Began as Piano Concerto, but piano used
  percussively

• Innovation Frequent use of Polychords (Petrushka
  chord)

F. The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps,
1913)

• Exploration of New Rhythmic Possibilities

12
III. Stravinsky II Neo-Classical Period
(1920-1951)
A. Social Political Context

• Russian elements recede/Smaller Performing Forces

B. Pulcinella Reworking of music by G. B.
Pergolesi (early classical)
C. Musical Characteristics of Neo-Classicism

• Traditional Forms

• Steady Pulse (often with repetitive rhythmic
  cells)

Classicism

• Smaller performing forces

• Clear textures w. little doubling

• Revived interest in imitation counterpoint

• Dissonance

• Wind instruments favored over strings

Modernism

• Strident or percussive sonorities

13
D. Important Neo-Classical Compositions

• Lhistorie du soldat (A Soldiers Tale)

• Symphonies of Wind Instruments

• Symphony of Psalms

14
IV. Stravinsky (III) Serial Period (1951-1971)
A. W.W. II immigration to U. S.
B. Robert Craft Influence of Schoenbergs
Serialism.
15
IV. The Rite of Spring
A. Wrights Rite

• percussive orchestra
• irregular accents
• osinato figures
• polymeters, polychords, polyrhythms

B. The Critics Rite

• rhythmically complex either incomprehensible or
  
• complex for the sake of complexity

16
C. Stravinskys Rite
1. Beats divided irregularly
2. Many rhythmically complex layers
3. Patterns presented both horizontally and
vertically
4. Regular beats, but irregular (or mixed) meter
5. Polychords (two different normal chords
sound together)
6. Rhythmic cells in irregular/asymmetrical
patterns
q q ee q
17
(No Transcript)