Igor Stravinsky 1882 1971 BackgroundEducation Born in Russia

Igor Stravinsky 1882 -1971

Background/Education • Born in Russia but also lived in Switzerland, France and after 1939, the U. S. • Taught by Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov, another famous composer • Was inspired by the works of impressionist composers like Debussy

Misc. Facts • Was neglected as a child but was not from a poor family. • Stravinsky’s father was a singer, but discouraged Igor from studying music. He wanted him to be a lawyer. • Worked closely with the famous ballet company Ballets Russe and wrote his 3 most famous works for them

Body of Work • The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring were his famous ballets • Stravinsky wrote all types of music including orchestral pieces, art songs and chamber music as well

L’Oiseau de feu - (The Firebird) • • Period: Modern/20 th Century (1910) Country: Russia Genre: Orchestral Form: Ballet - each scene is called a “tableau”

Characters of the Firebird • Prince Ivan – the hero who falls in love with one of Kashchei’s daughters and captures the Firebird • The Firebird – a mystical Phoenix that assists Prince Ivan in defeating Kashchei the Immortal by putting his kingdom to sleep • Kashchei the Immortal – an evil sorcerer with several daughters who is defeated by Prince Ivan and the Firebird

The Firebird - Berceuse • Firebird ballet is based on a Russian folk tale (Ivan and the Firebird vs. Kashchei the Immortal) • Berceuse – lullaby or soothing sound

The Firebird - Finale • What is a finale? • Finale – the end of a piece of music • How does the music progress through the finale? • It gradually incorporates more instruments and gets much louder