Stravinsky's Symphony in C was commissioned for the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its composition spanned his move from France to the USA in 1939.
Notable Performances
The Parisian premiere of Stravinsky's Threni was disastrous, leading to heckling and Stravinsky vowing never to conduct in Paris again, though the audience reaction was attributed to a shaky, under-rehearsed performance.
Critical Reception
Pulcinella initially faced criticism from those who had admired Stravinsky's earlier, more violent works, with some accusing him of deserting modernism and renouncing his Russian heritage.
Composition History
Stravinsky's ballet Pulcinella was inspired by manuscripts of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, an 18th-century Italian composer, suggested by Serge Diaghilev, with whom Stravinsky had previously collaborated on three ballets.
Composition History
Ode: Elegiacal Chant in Three Parts was commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitzky in honor of his late wife, Natalie, to whom Stravinsky had also dedicated his 1924 Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments.
Compositional Technique
Despite personal tragedies during its composition, Stravinsky's Symphony in C shows no sign of personal grief, focusing instead on abstract musical material and its treatment.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stravinsky considered Pulcinella a pivotal work, calling it his 'discovery of the past' and 'the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible'.
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