The International Piano Quartet, featured on this album, was formed by two prize-winning piano teams specifically to prepare for a Stravinsky Festival.
Composition History
Stravinsky's Les Noces underwent extensive changes and took a decade to complete, making its sketches a unique study of his creative process.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Stravinsky, the composer, had a strong affinity for Verdi's music, even displaying a photograph of Verdi in his Paris studio and altering his concert schedule to attend Verdi operas.
Performer Biography
Robert Craft, the conductor on this album, had a historic association with Igor Stravinsky, serving as his constant companion, co-conductor, and musical confidant for over twenty years.
Composition History
Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex in Paris on May 30, 1927, as a double bill with his ballet The Firebird.
Compositional Technique
Les Noces, a work by Stravinsky, requires four pianos and seventeen percussion instruments, an ensemble not typically found in standard symphony orchestras.
Critical Reception
Early listeners, including composers Ravel, Poulenc, and Roger Sessions, recognized Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex as one of his most powerful dramatic works.
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