Igor Stravinsky: biography and photos

Igor Stravinsky, whose biography is presented in this article, is an outstanding Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He is a representative of musical modernism. Igor Fedorovich is one of the largest representatives of world art.

Biography

In 1882, on June 17, Igor Stravinsky was born. A brief biography of the composer's parents gives an idea of where the boy has such a craving for music. His father - Fedor Ignatievich - was an opera singer, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater, Honored Artist of Russia. Mother Anna Kirillovna was a pianist. She took part in the concerts of her husband as an accompanist. The family hosted artists, musicians and writers in their homes. A frequent visitor to the Stravinsky was FM Dostoyevsky. Since childhood, Igor Stravinsky was also involved in music. The photo of the composer's parents is presented in this article.

At the age of 9, the future composer began taking piano lessons. When Igor Fyodorovich graduated from high school, his parents insisted that he get a legal education. The future composer studied at the St. Petersburg University and parallel to this independently studied musical and theoretical disciplines. His only composer school was private lessons, which Igor Fyodorovich took from Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov. Under the leadership of this great man I. Stravinsky wrote the first works. In 1914 Igor Fyodorovich left with his family to Switzerland. Soon the First World War began, because of which Stravinsky did not return to Russia. A year later, the composer moved to France. Since 1936, Igor Fedorovich began to travel to the United States on tour. After the Second World War began, he moved to a permanent residence in America. In 1944, I. Stravinsky made an unusual arrangement of the US anthem and performed the work at a concert. For this, he was arrested. He was owed a fine for distorting the anthem. The composer himself preferred not to publicize the incident and always said that in fact there was nothing like this. In 1945, the composer received American citizenship. Igor Fyodorovich died in 1971. The cause of death is heart failure. The composer in the Russian part of the cemetery of San Michele in Venice was buried.

Creative way

As already mentioned above, under the leadership of Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his very first works, Igor Stravinsky. The composer presented them to the public, and Sergei Diaghilev was present at one of such speeches . He praised the music of Igor Stravinsky. Soon the famous impresario offered Igor Fedorovich cooperation. He ordered him writing music for the ballet for his "Russian Seasons" in Paris. I. Stravinsky collaborated with S. Diaghilev for three years and for this time wrote for his company three ballets that made him famous: "Sacred Spring", "Petrushka" and "Firebird". In 1924 Igor Fyodorovich made his debut as a pianist. His own work - Concerto for pianoforte and brass band - performed on stage by Igor Stravinsky. The conductor showed up in him before that. In this capacity, he spoke from 1915 to 1926. He mostly conducted his own works. He was very picky about musicians. In the 50-60 years, most of his works were recorded. In 1962 I. Stravinsky came on tour in the USSR.

Personal life

In 1906, the composer married a cousin - Catherine Nosenko. It was a marriage of great love. Four Stravinsky had four children: Milena, Lyudmila, Svyatoslav and Fedor. Sons became famous artists. Fedor is an artist, and Svyatoslav is a pianist and composer. Daughter Lyudmila was the wife of the poet Yuri Mandelstam. Due to the fact that Catherine suffered from consumption, the Stravinsky left for winter in Switzerland, the damp air of Petersburg had a detrimental effect on her health. In 1914, Igor Fedorovich with his family had to stay in Switzerland for a long time, they could not return to Russia because of the outbreak of the First World War, followed by a revolution. All their property and money that remained in Russia, the family lost. This fact was perceived as a catastrophe by Igor Stravinsky. The composer's family was rather big, and they all needed to be fed. In addition to his wife and four children, there was also a sister, nephews and mother. I. Stravinsky in this period has ceased to receive royalties for the execution of his works in Russia. It happened because he emigrated. All his works published in our country were allowed to perform without payment of money to the author. To remedy the financial situation, Igor Stravinsky made new editions of his works. The personal life of the composer has not been without legends. He was credited with an affair with Coco Chanel. When I. Stravinsky had almost no means of subsistence, Mademoiselle helped him. She invited the composer and his family to live in his villa. Igor Fedorovich lived with Mademoiselle Chanel for two years. She sponsored the organization of concerts I. Stravinsky and kept his family. When the composer no longer lived in her villa, for another 13 years Koko sent him money every month. All this and gave rise to rumors about their novel. Besides, Coco was a loving woman. But these rumors are unlikely to correspond to reality. I. Stravinsky was exclusively interested in the money of a Frenchwoman.

In 1939 the wife of Igor Fedorovich died. After a while I. Stravinsky married again. His second wife was a longtime acquaintance of the composer - Vera Arturovna Sudeikina.

Russian period in creativity

Igor Stravinsky, whose photos are presented in this article, at the first stage of his career development - it's 1908-1923 years - he wrote mostly ballets and operas. This period of his creative career is called "Russian". All the works written by him at this time have much in common. In all there are motives and themes of Russian folklore. The ballet "Firebird" clearly traces the stylistic features inherent in the works of NA Rimsky-Korsakov.

Neoclassical period in creativity

This is the next stage in the development of the composer's creative path. It lasted until 1954. The opera "Mavra" started it. The basis of this period was a rethinking of styles and trends in the music of the 18th century. At the end of this period, in the development of his work the composer turns to antiquity, to the mythology of ancient Greece. The ballet "Orpheus" and the opera "Persephone" were written. The last composition of I. Stravinsky, relating to neoclassicism, is "The Rake". This opera is based on the sketches by W. Hogarth.

Serial period in creativity

In the 50s Igor Stravinsky began to use the principle of seriality. The transitional work of this period was Cantata, written on the verses of unknown English poets. It shows total polyphony in music. Subsequent works of this time were completely serial, in them the composer abandoned the tonality completely. "Lamentation of the Prophet Jeremiah" is a composition completely dodecaphonic.

Works for musical theater

List of operas, ballets, fairy tales and scenes that the composer Igor Stravinsky wrote:

• "The Wedding Party" (libretto by Igor Stravinsky).
• "Ballet Scenes".
• "Petrushka" ( A. Benois's libretto ).
• Agon.
• "Playing cards" (libretto by Igor Stravinsky).
• "Apollo Musaget".
• "Firebird" (libretto by M. Fokine).
• "Persephone."
• "The Fairy's Kiss" (libretto by Igor Stravinsky).
• "Pulcinella".
• "Mavra" (libretto by B. Kokhno on the poem by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin).
• "Flood".
• "A dirk about a fox, a cock, a cat and a ram" (libretto by Igor Stravinsky).
• "Orpheus".
• "The History of the Soldier" (libretto by Sh.F.Ramyu, based on Russian fairy tales).
• "Sacred spring".
• "The Adventures of the Rake" (libretto by Charles Collman and W. Auden on the paintings of W. Hogarth).
• "Oedipus the King".
• "Nightingale" (libretto by S. Mitusov on the fairy tale of G. Kh. Andersen).

List of works for orchestra

• "The Funeral Song."
• Symphony in C.
• Scherzo in the Russian style.
• "Concert Dances".
• Congratulatory foreplay.
• Symphony Es-dur.
• "Dumbarton Oaks."
• Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major.
• "Fireworks".
• "Circus polka for a young elephant".
• Divertissement.
• "Firebird" is a suite from the ballet.
• Capriccio for piano and orchestra.
• "Four Norwegian moods."
• The Basel concert.
• Fantastic scherzo.
• Suite from the ballet "Pulcinella".
• Variations on the memory of Aldous Huxley.
• Oh yeah.
• Concerto for piano, brass band, timpani and double basses.
• "Movements" for piano and orchestra.
• Symphony in three parts.

For the choir

Igor Stravinsky wrote many choral works. Among them:

• "The introvert of memory."
• "Symphony of the Psalms" (for the choir and orchestra).
• "Lament of the Prophet Jeremiah."
• Cantata "Sermon, Parable and Prayer" (for viola, tenor, reciter, choir, and orchestra).
• "The Symbol of Faith" (a work for a chorus without musical accompaniment).
• Cantata for poems by K. Balmont "Zvezdolikiy".
• "Our Father" (for the chorus without musical accompaniment).
• "Funeral chants."
• "Hail Mary, rejoice."
• Cantata "Babylon" (for the reader, male chorus and orchestra).
• A sacred song in the name of St. Mark.
• "Mass" (for a mixed choir accompanied by an ensemble of wind instruments).
• Cantata on poems of anonymous poets of England 15-16 centuries.
• "Podlyudnye" - Russian peasant songs for the female choir.
• Hymn on the verses of T. Eliot.

List of chamber works

• Ebony concert.
• Elegy for viola.
• Three pieces for clarinet.
• "The Soldier's Story" is a suite from the opera for violin, clarinet and piano.
• A symphony for wind instruments, dedicated to K. Debussy.
• Concert duo.
• Three pieces for string quartet.
• Epitaph to the tomb of M. Egon.
• Prelude for a jazz band.
• Concertino for string quartet.
• Ragtime.
• Double canon of memory of R. Dufy.
• Fanfares for two pipes.
• Septet for Strings, Winds and Pianoforte.
• Lullaby for two recorders.
• Octet for wind instruments.

In memory of the composer

The name of Igor Stravinsky is the music school, which is located in Oranienbaum. In honor of the composer, postage stamps and coins were issued. In the French city of Montreux there is a music audience named after Igor Stravinsky. On the planet Mercury there is a crater named in his honor. The name "Igor Stravinsky" is worn by a tourist motor ship and a "Aeroflot" A-319 aircraft. In honor of the great Russian composer, the street is named in Amsterdam, the fountain in Paris, the alley in Lausanne, the square in Oranienbaum. In Ukraine (Volyn) a museum of Igor Stravinsky was opened. And also there since 1994 the international music festival of a name of this composer, the conductor and the pianist is conducted.