Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer and pianist who is considered one of the most influential and Igor Stravinsky Biography important composers of the 20th century. He is best known for his ballets, such as The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring, which changed the course of classical music.
Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882, in Oranienbaum, Russia. His father was a successful opera singer and his mother was a well-known pianist. Igor began studying music at a young age and by the time he was thirteen, he had already composed two operas. In 1901, he moved to Paris to continue his musical studies and eventually became a French citizen.
It was in Paris that Stravinsky met some of the most important composers and artists of his time, including Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. His early works were heavily influenced by these two composers. In 1913, Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring caused a sensation when it premiered in Paris. The music was radically different from anything that had been written before and the choreography was equally groundbreaking. The Rite of Spring is now considered a classic of 20th century music.
Igor Stravinsky is widely regarded as one of the century’s greatest composers. Many composers have made significant breakthroughs and achievements in the last 100 years, but Stravinsky has dominated nearly every trend established. On June 17, 1882, Igor Stravinsky was born near Saint Petersburg, Russia, in Oranienbaum. Fyodor Ignatyevich Stravinsky was his father, a famous Russian bass opera singer. Igor Stravinsky was the third of four children in his family. He grew up listening to his father practicing his opera and attending local ballets.
Igor was musically inclined from an early age. He began his music education at the age of nine, studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who became a great influence on Igor’s music. He completed his studies in 1910 and moved to Paris, France that same year. Igor quickly assimilated himself into the city’s avant-garde musical circles, meeting new composers such as Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy.
In Igor’s own words: “Debussy liberated me from the straitjacket of academician.” Igor soon developed his own unique voice as a composer, which revolutionized 20th century classical music. His first major work was The Firebird (1910), which was commissioned by the impresario Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes. Igor followed up with Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913).
The Rite of Spring caused a near-riot when it premiered on May 29, 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Igor’s music was so revolutionary that many in the audience thought the dancers were actually performing a primitive pagan ritual! Igor’s music went on to influence generations of composers and is still performed regularly around the world. He continued to compose until his death on April 6, 1971. Igor Stravinsky is without doubt one of the most important figures in classical music history.
He began studying piano when he was 9 years old, and subsequently took formal notation and composition lessons. He studied music throughout his early life. His parents, on the other hand, did not want him to pursue a musical career since they had been brought up with it. His family was musically inclined. His parents thought that his attempts as a musician were immature, but they indulged him in it with the piano, operas, and ballets because they loved it so much.
Nevertheless, Igor continued to study music on the side. After he graduated from the University in 1905, Igor decided to completely focus on his music career.
In 1907 Igor’s ballet Firebird was premiered in Paris and it became an instant success. Following that premiere, Igor began traveling all over Europe and the United States as a composer and conductor. He wrote many more ballets and operas during this time such as Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913).
These works were highly controversial due to their dissonant harmonies and atonality, but they later came to be recognized as some of the most important contributions to 20th century classical music. Igor also taught composition at several prestigious universities throughout his life, including the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau (1938-1968).In the summer of 1902, while he was there, Stravinsky concentrated on his music and especially his composition.
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer, introduced him to Stravinsky in the summer of 1902. He persuaded Stravinsky not to attend the conservatory for academic study but to study privately with him as his teacher instead. Rimsky taught Stravinsky privately about instrumentation and orchestration for approximately three years beginning in 1905. Meanwhile, he studied with Rimsky until 1906.
Igor was married to Catherine Nossenko, a fellow Russian composer, on November 4, 1910. Igor and Catherine had two children together: Oleg and Soulima.
In 1911, Igor moved to Paris with his family. This was the time of great change for Igor as a composer. He began to break away from the traditional Russian style of music that he grew up with and started to experiment with new styles and rhythms. His first work in this new style was the ballet score, The Firebird.
It premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on June 25, 1910, and was an instant success. Igor’s fame continued to grow with each new work that he composed. Some of his most famous compositions from this time period include the ballets Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913), and the orchestral works Igor Stravinsky Concerto in E-flat (1918) and Symphony of Psalms (1930).
Igor Stravinsky continued to live in Paris for the rest of his life. He became a French citizen in 1934. He remained active as a composer until his death on April 6, 1971. Igor was buried in Venice, Italy.
Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer who is considered to be one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. He is best known for his early ballets, such as The Firebird and Petrushka, which broke away from the traditional Russian style of music and started to experiment with new styles and rhythms. Igor lived in Paris for the rest of his life and became a French citizen in 1934.
