Stravinsky: Petrushka & Chant du rossignol

Featuring

Gerard Schwarz
Seattle Symphony
Igor Stravinsky

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Compositional Technique

In The Song of the Nightingale, Stravinsky uses brilliant orchestration and various forms of musical chinoiserie, including a 'Chinese March' and a kaleidoscope of quasi-Chinese melodic figures.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at the Seattle Center Opera House, with Petrushka recorded in January 1988 and The Song of the Nightingale in October 1986.

Historical Context

The Ballets russes, a troupe of Russian dancers, musicians, and theatre artists, brought a new kind of theatrical experience to Paris in 1909, pushing beyond 19th-century ballet conventions.

Composer Biography

Igor Stravinsky was a young and little-known composer when Sergey Dyagilev, director of the Ballets russes, heard his early pieces in 1909 and engaged him for commissions.

Composition History

Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka originated from an unexpected idea for an orchestral piece featuring a puppet, which he played for Sergey Dyagilev, who then persuaded him to develop it into a full ballet.

Performer Biography

Gerard Schwarz, the conductor on this album, served as Music Director of the Seattle Symphony for 26 years and has a discography of over 350 releases.