Stravinsky, Igor

A Russian-American composer born in 1882, Igor Stravinsky was widely known as the greatest composer of the 20th century.

His contributions to music were wide and varied. He studied music with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov from 1903 to 1906. He gained fame from his performances while commissioned with the impresario, Sergey Diaghilev.

Stravinsky’s ballet score, The Firebird (1910), was a huge success at the Paris Opera, followed by Petrushka, performed during the Ballets Russes (1911) in Paris.

Another outstanding work is The Rite of Spring (1913), which was a dynamic masterpiece. He worked on various pieces of ballet music, including a piano piece by Frédéric Chopin for Les Sylphides.

The Nightingale (1914) and The Soldier’s Tale (1918) were some of his compositions created while in exile in Switzerland during the War. In France, he diverted to neoclassical style and composed Oedipus Rex (1927) and the Symphony of Psalms (1930).

His renewed ties with Diaghilev resulted in his arrangement of Pulcinella (1920) and Apollo Musagetes (1928). From 1923 to 1935, he composed piano and wind instruments pieces.

He moved to the United States in 1939 and became a U.S. citizen in 1945. The Rake’s Progress (1948-51), Canticum Sacrum (1955), and the ballet Agon (1953-57) were larger scale works wherein the music moves from a modal and tonal beginning into a full serial score.

After his work on Requiem Canticles (1966), a work as famous as his masterpieces and neo-classicals, his health failed. He died in 1971 and was buried in Venice.

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/artists/stravinky-igor

SOLDIER’S TALE CONCERT SUITE (1920)

Stravinsky had first met the Swiss writer, C.F.Ramuz in 1915 and worked with him on the French version of Renard and Les Noces so it was not surprising when he again collaborated with him on the L’Histoire du Soldat a few years later. The war had understandably affected the financial situation and both composer and librettist wanted to write something which could be produced simply and economically. L’Histoire du Soldat is scored for dancer, three speaking parts and seven instruments and has proved to be successful on an almost unbelievable international scale since its first performance in Lausanne in September 1918 (described in the programme as “to be read, played and danced”). The story tells of the Soldier who has a magic violin which he trades with the Devil who promises to fulfil his every wish. One of his many encounters involves his curing the lovely daughter of a King but throughout the piece the Devil proves a tricky protagonist.
The Concert Suite consists of the following Movements:
1. The Soldier’s March
2. Airs by a Stream
3. Pastorale
4. Royal March
5. The Little Concert
6. Three Dances: Tango – Waltz – Ragtime
7. Dance of the Devil
8. Grand Choral
9. Triumphal March of the Devil

and was first performed in London’s Wigmore Hall in July 1920.
Sheila MacCrindle

Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale Concert Suite (July 1920) is scored for septet: Clarinet (in A and B♭), Bassoon, Cornet, Trombone, Violin, Double Bass and percussion. 

Igor Stravinsky composed the instrumental concert suite for The Soldier’s Tale (L’Histoire du soldat) in 1919. He subsequently arranged a trio version for clarinet, violin, and piano which was premiered in November 1919, with the standard 7-instrument version premiering in July 1920. 

The full theatrical production and the various concert suites of The Soldier’s Tale (L’Histoire du Soldat) were introduced to Australian audiences much earlier than 1968. For instance, the famous dancer and director Sir Robert Helpmann was famously associated with introducing the work to broader Australian audiences, and classical music societies in Sydney and Melbourne had performed the suite in the 1940s and 1950s.

The West Australian premiere was performed on Sunday September 29^th 1968 in a free concert put on by the A.B.C. in the Basic Kirke Studio.  Directed by Verdon Williams, the performers were Graham Wood (violin), John Mowson (bass), Jack Harrison (clarinet), Jill Harrison (bassoon), Donald Johnson (trumpet), Alan Mewitt (trombone) and Brian Sadique (percussion).

Free A.B.C. Concert

Sunday September 29^th 1968

The free concert in the A.B.C.s Basil Kirke Studio tomorrow beginning at 3 o’clock is one of a series of six in which distinguished artists are performing a wide variety of works. The program will be Bartok’s outstanding and complicated “Sonata for two pianos and percussion” played by Wendy Nash and Stephen Dornan and percussionists John Reece and Brian Sadique directed by Verdon Williams and Stravinsky’s “Soldiers Tale” concert suite conducted by Verdon Williams. The performers will be Graham Wood (violin), John Mowson (bass), Jack Harrison (clarinet), Jill Harrison (bassoon), Donald Johnson (trumpet), Alan Mewitt (trombone) and Brian Sadique (percussion). [1]

[1] The West Australian Saturday September 28 1968