History Music / IgorStravinsky

* MusicOfNote: One of the biggest names in twentieth-century music.

->''"I haven't understood a bar of music in my life, but I have felt it."''

Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: ''Theatre/TheFirebird'', ''Theatre/{{Petrushka}}'', and ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring''. ''Theatre/TheFirebird'' is one of the most accessible and popular works the composer wrote and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in {{WesternAnimation/Fantasia 2000}} and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: ''Theatre/TheFirebird'', ''Theatre/{{Petrushka}}'', and ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring''. ''Theatre/TheFirebird'' is one of the most accessible and popular works the composer wrote and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

* The Music/PostHardcore band, Music/RitesOfSpring, obviously named their band after his most famous ballet.

* ClassicalMusic: Between 1920 and 1950 Stravinsky composed a lot of neoclassical works, where he reinvented 18th century style baroque music, sometimes to the point of parody.

* DeconReconSwitch: While ''The Rite Of Spring'' blew up musical conventions, he later became a cofounder of Neoclassicism, which essentially was a Reconstruction of pre-Romantic ClassicalMusic.

''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring'' was a ballet portraying a savage tribal ritual in which a virgin is sacrificed to bring about spring; it premiered in 1913. It uses dissonance, primitive melodies, polyrhythm, and polytonality, to express this. It was met with extreme hostility on its opening night (the audience rioted, leaving few people in the theater and Stravinsky in tears.) The piece is now critically acclaimed as a masterpiece, and is one of the most famous works of classical music of the modern era, and of all time. Creator/WaltDisney even used it in the original ''{{WesternAnimation/Fantasia}}'', which cemented its reputation and even [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed it]]. (Stravinsky is the only composer of a piece used in the ''Fantasia'' films that actually was alive to see it used on the movie in theaters. Unfortunately, [[DisownedAdaptation he hated it]].)

Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: ''Theatre/TheFirebird'', ''Music/{{Petrushka}}'', and ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring''. ''The Firebird'' is one of the most accessible and popular works the composer wrote and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

''Petrushka'' is a ballet about a puppet that come to life. It premiered in 1911, and is a more modernistic work, using more polytonality and polyrhythms. Although less accessible it nevertheless found critical success upon its debut, and is very popular today.

''The Rite of Spring'' was a ballet portraying a savage tribal ritual in which a virgin is sacrificed to bring about spring; it premiered in 1913. It uses dissonance, primitive melodies, polyrhythm, and polytonality, to express this. It was met with extreme hostility on its opening night (the audience rioted, leaving few people in the theater and Stravinsky in tears.) The piece is now critically acclaimed as a masterpiece, and is one of the most famous works of classical music of the modern era, and of all time. Creator/WaltDisney even used it in the original ''{{WesternAnimation/Fantasia}}'', which cemented its reputation and even [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed it]]. (Stravinsky is the only composer of a piece used in the ''Fantasia'' films that actually was alive to see it used on the movie in theaters. Unfortunately, [[DisownedAdaptation he hated it]].)

This is by no means the entirety of Stravinsky's work, as he went through a multitude of styles after the three ballets for which he is most remembered. His change in style throughout his career has been compared to that of Creator/PabloPicasso. Among other works were the ballet ''Music/{{Agon}}'', the ballet ''Music/{{Pulcinella}}'', and the opera ''[[Theatre/TheRakesProgress The Rake's Progress]]''.

* BadassBoast: When Stravinsky played sections of ''[[Music/TheRiteOfSpring The Rite of Spring]]'' to ballet choreographer Sergei Diaghilev Diaghilev was shocked by the dissonance. So he asked Stravinsky: "How long does this go on?" To which the composer snapped back: "Until the very end!"

* LighterAndSofter: After ''[[Music/TheRiteOfSpring The Rite of Spring]]'', Stravinsky never wrote anything as overtly extreme or shocking ever again.
* LivingToys: ''Petrouchka'', about a puppet that comes to life.

** All of ''[[Music/{{Ragtime}} Ragtime for Eleven Instruments]]'', the solo piano work ''[[Music/PianoRagMusic Piano-Rag-Music]]'', the last movement of the ''[[Music/ThreePiecesForClarinetSolo Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo]]'' and the ragtime movements from ''[[Theatre/LHistoireDuSoldat L'Histoire du Soldat]]'' ("The Soldiers' Tale") show significant ragtime influence.
** The ''Music/EbonyConcerto'' (written for jazz clarinetist Music/WoodyHerman) and the second movement of the ''[[Music/ThreePiecesForClarinetSolo Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo]]'' show significant jazz influence. Other works, such as ''Music/{{Agon}}'', ''Music/{{Orpheus}}'', ''[[Music/{{Persephone}} Perséphone]]'', and the ''[[Music/SymphonyInThreeMovements Symphony in Three Movements]]'' do as well, per the composer.

* PopCulturalOsmosis: Stravinsky is still popularly associated with the scandal of ''[[Music/TheRiteOfSpring The Rite of Spring]]'', more than any other composition he wrote during his life. Still the infamy helped his name to be recognized all around the world.
* RefugeInAudacity: If you compare ''[[Music/TheRiteOfSpring The Rite of Spring]]'' to the music before it, it's ''incredibly'' brutal. It de-emphasized traditional melody (often relying on brief melodic cells), and the overwhelming focus is on pounding, often irregular rhythm. With a good orchestra and conductor in a decent hall, it's like listening to metal, only less predictable and so more disturbing. Back in 1913, there was literally nothing like it.

* UncommonTime: Used this so much he nearly inverted it, and considered it noteworthy when he wrote a piece (''Symphony in C'') that had no meter changes at all. Generally considered the TropeCodifier for this tendency in modern ClassicalMusic, and undoubtedly a rather large influence on many of the legions of ProgressiveRock and ProgressiveMetal bands who use the trope as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': The "Rite Of Spring" segment is a centre piece in the first film. Igor Stravinsky was brought in to oversee the production, but didn't like how his music was re-edited to match the "story" Disney thought up for it and the small fee he received. He hated what Disney did to his music (mostly due to omitting a crucial ending to the segment out of controversy fears, something that nearly got Creator/WaltDisney sued by him) and hated animation for the rest of his life. ''Fantasia 2000'' closes with another edited version of ''Theatre/TheFirebird''.

* Music/FrankZappa quoted from ''Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring'', ''Theatre/TheFirebird'' and ''The Soldier's Tale'' a few times on his albums.
** ''Music/AbsolutelyFree'' quotes "Pétrouchka" during "Status Back Baby", the Royal March from "L' Histoire du Soldat" during "Soft Sell Conclusion" and the "Berceuse" from ''Theatre/TheFirebird'' during "Amnesia Vivace".

** The theme from "The Soldier's Tale" is covered on Zappa's ''Music/MakeAJazzNoiseHere''.

Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: ''Theatre/TheFirebird'', ''Music/{{Petrushka}}'', and ''[[Music/TheRiteOfSpring The Rite of Spring]]''. ''The Firebird'' is one of the most accessible and popular works the composer wrote and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

Igor Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: "Theatre/TheFirebird", "Petrushka", and "Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring". "The Firebird" is one of the most accessible and popular works that Igor Stravinsky wrote, and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

"Petrushka" is a ballet about a puppet that come to life. It premiered in 1911, and is a more modernistic work, using more polytonality and polyrhythms. Although less accessible it nevertheless found critical success upon its debut, and is very popular today.

"The Rite of Spring" was a ballet portraying a savage tribal ritual in which a virgin is sacrificed to bring about spring; it premiered in 1913. It uses dissonance, primitive melodies, polyrhythm, and polytonality, to express this. It was met with extreme hostility on its opening night (the audience rioted, leaving few people in the theater and Stravinsky in tears.) The piece is now critically acclaimed as a masterpiece, and is one of the most famous works of classical music of the modern era, and of all time. Creator/WaltDisney even used it in the original ''{{WesternAnimation/Fantasia}}'', which cemented its reputation and even [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed it]]. (Stravinsky is the only composer of a piece used in the ''Fantasia'' films that actually was alive to see it used on the movie in theaters. Unfortunately, [[DisownedAdaptation he hated it]].)

This is by no means the entirety of Stravinsky's work, as he went through a multitude of styles after the three ballets for which he is most remembered. His change in style throughout his career has been compared to that of Creator/PabloPicasso. Among other works were the ballet "Agon", the ballet "Pulcinella", and the opera "The Rake's Progress".

** The ''Music/EbonyConcerto'' (written for jazz clarinetist Music/WoodyHerman) and the second movement of the ''[[Music/ThreePiecesForClarinetSolo Three Pieces for Clarinet Solo]]'' show significant jazz influence.

** ''Music/InMemoriamDylanThomas'' for tenor voice, string quartet, and four trombones, in memory of [[Creator/DylanThomas the author]].
** ''Music/Epitaphium'' for flute, clarinet, and harp, in memory of [[UsefulNotes/MaxEgonZuFurstenburg Prince Max Egon zu Fürstenberg]].
** ''[[Music/DoubleCanonRaoulDufyInMemoriam Double Canon ("Raoul Dufy in Memoriam")]]'' for string quartet, in memory of [[Creator/RaoulDufy the painter]].

** ''[[Music/VariationsAldousHuxleyInMemoriam Variations: Aldous Huxley in Memoriam]]'' for orchestra, in memory of [[Creator/AldousHuxley the author]].

* NeoClassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Some of this composer's music shows influence of ragtime and jazz.
** Both ''[[Music/{{Ragtime}} Ragtime for Eleven Instruments]]'' and the ragtime movements from ''[[Theatre/LHistoireDuSoldat L'Histoire du Soldat]]'' ("The Soldiers' Tale") show influence of this style.

** Both ''[[Music/Ragtime Ragtime for Eleven Instruments]]'' and the ragtime movements from ''[[Theatre/LHistoireDuSoldat L'Histoire du Soldat]]'' ("The Soldiers' Tale") show influence of this style.

* BadassBoast: When Stravinsky played sections of "The Rite Of Spring" to ballet choreographer Sergei Diaghilev Diaghilev was shocked by the dissonance. So he asked Stravinsky: "How long does this go on?" To which the composer snapped back: "Until the very end!"

* DealWithTheDevil: Central plot in ''L'Histoire du Soldat'' ("The Soldiers' Tale") and ''The Rake's Progress''.

* LighterAndSofter: After ''The Rite of Spring'', Stravinsky never wrote anything as overtly extreme or shocking ever again.

* MoodMotif: Used in "L' Histoire du Soldat" ("The Soldiers' Tale")

* NeoClassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Stravinsky used some ragtime influences in his work "Rag-Time".
* OddFriendship: He was mutual admirers with Music/CharlieParker, surprising many in both the classical and jazz worlds.
* PopCulturalOsmosis: Stravinsky is still mostly associated with the scandal of "The Rite Of Spring", more than any other composition he wrote during his life. Still the infamy helped his name to be recognized all around the world.
* RefugeInAudacity: If you compare "The Rite of Spring" to the music before it, it's ''incredibly'' brutal. It did away with all melody except for brief melodic cells, and the overwhelming focus is on pounding rhythm. With a good orchestra and conductor in a decent hall, it's like listening to metal, only less predictable and so more disturbing. Back in 1913, there was literally nothing like it.

* {{Homage}}: He wrote an "in memoriam" both for Creator/DylanThomas as well as UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy.
* LighterAndSofter: After ''The Rite of Spring'', Stravinsky never wrote anything as extreme or as shocking ever again.

Igor Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: "Theatre/TheFirebird", "Petrushka", and "Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring". "The Firebird" is one of the most accessible and popular works that Igor Stravinsky wrote, and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''[[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Fantasia 2000]]'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

"The Rite of Spring" was a ballet portraying a savage tribal ritual in which a virgin is sacrificed to bring about spring; it premiered in 1913. It uses dissonance, primitive melodies, polyrhythm, and polytonality, to express this. It was met with extreme hostility on its opening night (the audience rioted, leaving few people in the theater and Stravinsky in tears.) The piece is now critically acclaimed as a masterpiece, and is one of the most famous works of classical music of the modern era, and of all time. Creator/WaltDisney even used it in the original ''{{Disney/Fantasia}}'', which cemented its reputation and even [[OvershadowedByControversy overshadowed it]]. (Stravinsky is the only composer of a piece used in the ''Fantasia'' films that actually was alive to see it used on the movie in theaters. Unfortunately, [[DisownedAdaptation he hated it]].)

* ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'': The "Rite Of Spring" segment is a centre piece in the first film. Igor Stravinsky was brought in to oversee the production, but didn't like how his music was re-edited to match the "story" Disney thought up for it and the small fee he received. He hated what Disney did to his music (mostly due to omitting a crucial ending to the segment out of controversy fears, something that nearly got Creator/WaltDisney sued by him) and hated animation for the rest of his life. ''Fantasia 2000'' closes with another edited version of ''Theatre/TheFirebird''.

* Mentioned in AllanSherman's satirical commentary "The Ballad of Oh Boy."

Igor Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: "Theatre/TheFirebird", "Petrushka", and Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring". "The Firebird" is one of the most accessible and popular works that Igor Stravinsky wrote, and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''[[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Fantasia 2000]]'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

Igor Stravinsky's most famous works include three early ballets: Theatre/TheFirebird", "Petrushka", and Theatre/TheRiteOfSpring". "The Firebird" is one of the most accessible and popular works that Igor Stravinsky wrote, and was his first major work, premiering in 1910. Many people will recognize certain parts of the piece due to its use in ''[[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Fantasia 2000]]'' and the opening for live concerts of {{Music/Yes}}. It was frequently compared to the works of Music/ClaudeDebussy by critics. It uses many more Romantic elements than Stravinsky's later work.

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882 - 1971) was a Russian-born composer. He is the only classical composer present on Magazine/TimeMagazine's list of "100 People of the 20th Century". Regardless of what criticism people might have of this list, Igor Stravinsky is widely acknowledged as a massively influential composer and one of the most important and iconic figures of modern classical music.

'''Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky''' (1882 - 1971) was a Russian-born composer. He is the only classical composer present on Magazine/TimeMagazine's list of "100 People of the 20th Century". Regardless of what criticism people might have of this list, Igor Stravinsky is widely acknowledged as a massively influential composer and one of the most important and iconic figures of modern classical music.