Stravinsky: Apollon Musagète & Pulcinella Suite

Featuring

Alexander Janiczek
Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Igor Stravinsky

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Compositional Technique

In Pulcinella, Stravinsky subtly annotated melodies and bass lines of earlier composers, sometimes adding modern touches like an unchanging drone or radically recomposing sections to create a rhythmically energized, distinctly Stravinskian sound.

Composition History

The initial idea for Stravinsky's Pulcinella came from Sergey Diaghilev, impresario of the Ballets Russes, who wanted arrangements of music by the 18th-century Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.

Compositional Technique

For Apollon musagète, Stravinsky aimed for a 'ballet blanc' of purity and unity, scoring it for strings alone and using almost exclusive diatonic harmony to avoid violent contrasts.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Stravinsky considered Pulcinella a turning point, an 'epiphany' that made his later work possible and revealed the potential of engaging with earlier music to renew his own musical language.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Stravinsky viewed music history as his only true home, exploring various periods and styles, from ancient folklore to Baroque masters like Pergolesi, to find inspiration.

Composer Biography

Igor Stravinsky, though born in Russia, spent most of his life in exile, living in Switzerland, France, and America, and did not return to his homeland for almost half a century.

Performer Biography

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) was founded in 1981 by young musicians from the European Union Youth Orchestra who wanted to continue performing together at a high professional level.