Stravinsky
Stravinsky refers to Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971), the Russian-born composer whose works transformed twentieth-century music.
His ballets *The Firebird*, *Petrushka*, and especially *The Rite of Spring*—which provoked a riot at its 1913 Paris premiere—redefined rhythm and orchestration.
The name evokes modernist innovation and deliberate difficulty: The piece sounds like Stravinsky on steroids.
Movement emulating antiquity's forms
- serialismFixed-sequence composition technique
- primitivismIdealization of pre-modern life
- polytonalityConcurrent musical key centers
- atonalityAbsence of key signature
twelve-tone · orchestration · instrumentation · polyphony · counterpoint · ostinato · motif · dissonance
Stressed unexpected beats
- polyrhythmOverlapping musical beat patterns
- ostinatoRepeating musical figure
- accentsRegional speech patterns
- asymmetryAbsence of balanced form
pulse · cross-rhythm · propulsive · barbaric · percussive · unpredictable · visceral · pounding
- emigrePerson who fled homeland
- expatriateOne living abroad permanently
- PushkinEugene Onegin author
- Dostoevsky19th-century Russian author
Tchaikovsky · Tolstoy · Chekhov · Slavic · folklore · samovar · homeland · exile
Years 1901-2000
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
- influentialHaving considerable effect
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
iconic · masterpiece · landmark · controversial · premiere · riot · scandal · innovation
Pontiac sports coupe line
- ApolloSun deity, moonshot namesake
- OrpheusLegendary Greek musician
- NijinskyBallet's gravity defier
- choreographyDesigning performance movement sequences
pas-de-deux · premiere · libretto · pantomime · fairytale · theatrical · costume · staging
neoclassicism
Movement emulating antiquity's forms
- serialismFixed-sequence composition technique
- primitivismIdealization of pre-modern life
- polytonalityConcurrent musical key centers
atonality · twelve-tone · orchestration · instrumentation · polyphony · counterpoint · ostinato · motif · dissonance · modality
syncopation
Stressed unexpected beats
- polyrhythmOverlapping musical beat patterns
- ostinatoRepeating musical figure
- accentsRegional speech patterns
asymmetry · pulse · cross-rhythm · propulsive · barbaric · percussive · unpredictable · visceral · pounding · driving
Rimsky-Korsakov
- emigrePerson who fled homeland
- expatriateOne living abroad permanently
- PushkinEugene Onegin author
Tchaikovsky · Tolstoy · Dostoevsky · Chekhov · Slavic · folklore · samovar · homeland · exile · Paris
twentieth-century
Years 1901-2000
- modernismFavoring contemporary approaches
- avant-gardeInnovative cultural pioneers
- influentialHaving considerable effect
revolutionary · iconic · masterpiece · landmark · controversial · premiere · riot · scandal · innovation · recordings
Firebird
Pontiac sports coupe line
choreography · pas-de-deux · premiere · libretto · pantomime · fairytale · theatrical · costume · staging · Robbins
Persephone
Greek underworld queen
- MassCatholic worship service
- classical musicBach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms
- ComposersBach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn
- RussiaRussia, Moscow, Kremlin, Red Square, Siberia
- European MusiciansBach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms
- Russian CultureBolshoi, matryoshka, Kremlin, Hermitage, balalaika
- Modern ClassicalSchoenberg, Bartok, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Copland
StravinskyRachmaninoff
Brahms · Mendelssohn · Elgar · traditionalist
StravinskyPuccini
Italian operatic composer
Rachmaninoff · Tchaikovsky · melodist · Dvořák · Grieg
StravinskyMahler
Austrian composer-conductor
Wagner · Schoenberg · expressionist · Liszt · Berlioz