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Igor Stravinsky  (1882-1971)

According to The New Penguin Dictionary of Music, Igor [Federovich] Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer; also pianist, conductor and author of autobiographical and other writings. Pupil of Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov; left Russia 1914; lived mainly in Paris, naturalised French 1934; settled in USA, 1939, naturalised there 1945. Prodigiously successful and influential composer, initially winning fame with pre-1914 ballets. Later developed neo-classical tendency (compact forms, small forces, aversion from "emotion"), though the austerity of this was modified from the 1930's. Showed interest in jazz (e.g. in "The Soldier's Tale"); based ballet "Pulcinella" on music supposedly by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; adopted a deliberate back-to-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart style in opera "The Rake's Progress" (1951). Other works include "Symphony of Palms" (with chorus), "Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto, "Ebony Concerto" (for dance band); opera-oratorios "Oedipus Rex" and "Persephone"; ballets "Apollo Musagates", "Orpheus, "Agon', Mass. Notable rhythmic and harmonic innovator, but long adhered to tonality; however, from the choral-and-orchestral "Canticum sacrum" (Holy Canticle in Latin, for St Mark's, Venice), 1955, he adopted a 12-note technique indebted to Webern's. Later works included "Movements" for piano and orchestra; "Threni"; "The Flood"; "Sacred Ballet" (in Hebrew, on the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac) for baritone and small orchestra; "Elegy for J.F. Kennedy".

Sheet Music:
Sheet music at SheetMusicPlus.com
Websites:
STRAVINSKY, IGOR BIOGRAPHY by www.naxos.com.
Books:
[§] An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky
[§] The Firebird in Full Score by Igor Stravinsky
[§] Stravinsky Inside Out by Charles M. Joseph
[§] The Stravinsky Legacy (Music in the Twentieth Century) by Jonathan Cross