Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky's music cracks open rhythm and colour: pagan rite and puppet theatre, Russian folk bite and cool neoclassical poise. From The Rite of Spring to Petrouchka and The Firebird, the writing still startles the ear.
His ballet scores for the Ballets Russes redefined what theatre music could do. The Rite of Spring, first composed for piano four hands, thrives on stacked pulses and raw drive even stripped of the orchestra: fiery staccato, primitive rhythmic force that never lets go. Petrouchka keeps the fairground swagger and the puppet's brittle edge in its piano transcriptions. Elsewhere the voice softens. The Firebird berceuse rocks with quiet glow, while Chanson Russe carries eccentric folk colour for cello or violin. Later he turned toward Pergolesi and classical forms, polishing dance into clean, witty neoclassical line. Whether the surface is savage or courtly, the music is built for the body as much as the mind.
Igor Stravinsky is featured on the following titles
In Other Words
Violinist Anna McMichael and pianist Daniel de Borah devised this programme of transcriptions, two of Australia’s most accomplished chamber musicians. They play the music with virtuosity and style.
Compositions by Igor Stravinsky also appear on
Close Your Eyes and I'll Close Mine: Lullabies Old and New
Lullabies (or berceuses) have been around as long as humans have been singing their children to sleep. This CD presents a unique collection of mostly modern lullabies, many written for this project.