The piano arrangement of The Rite of Spring deeply impressed Debussy, who called it "a beautiful nightmare" after reading it through with Stravinsky before its public premiere.
Compositional Technique
For his Concerto for two pianos, Stravinsky commissioned a special instrument with a double keyboard from the Pleyel company to meticulously scrutinize the work's complexities with his son, Soulima.
Composition History
Stravinsky's first significant success came when the impresario Dyagilev commissioned the ballet The Firebird, first performed in Paris in 1910.
Composer Biography
Igor Stravinsky, the composer, was the son of a distinguished bass soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, who created important roles in new operas by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.
Compositional Technique
Stravinsky composed at the piano throughout his life, finding direct contact with sound essential for feeling as well as hearing harmony and texture.
Performer Biography
Benjamin Frith, a British pianist, won the British National Concerto Competition at age fourteen and later a Gold Medal and first prize in the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stravinsky's so-called neo-classicism, a style of composition derived largely from the eighteenth century, coincided with the beginning of his international career.
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