Stravinsky: The Firebird & Petrushka (1947 Version)

Featuring

Robert Craft
Philharmonia Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky

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Recording & Production

This recording of Stravinsky's Firebird is the first to restore two long, valveless trumpets on stage, an effect likely unheard since its 1910 premiere.

Performer Biography

Robert Craft, the conductor of this album, was Igor Stravinsky's constant companion, co-conductor, and musical confidant for over twenty years.

Composition History

Stravinsky began composing The Firebird in December 1909, interrupting work on his opera The Nightingale, after being commissioned by Sergey Dyagilev for the Ballets Russes.

Compositional Technique

Petrushka is harmonically, rhythmically, and instrumentally innovative, notably introducing bitonality with the famous 'Petrushka chord' combining C major and F sharp major triads.

Performer Biography

The Philharmonia Orchestra, featured on this recording, is the world's most recorded symphony orchestra, with over a thousand releases to its credit.

Critical Reception

The premiere of The Firebird in Paris was an enormous success, making Stravinsky an international figure overnight, though he later suffered from its universal popularity.