Stravinsky Russian Period Analysis

The true mark of a NYCB devotee is how much they look forward to the all-Stravinsky programs. The leotard ballets and spiky scores can still bring the jitters in people who adore Jewels, Serenade or Theme and Variations, but if just the thought of that diagonal of soldier-girls in Symphony in Three Movements gives you the tingles, then I'd say you're all in. So it's fitting that NYCB ended its winter season with an excellent all-Stravinsky/Balanchine bill of the rarely performed Divertimento From Baiser de la Fée and long with repertory staples Agon, Duo Concertant, and Symphony in Three Movements. For one, it's a test of the company's resilience. It's also a test of the audiences' loyalty.

It is said that Fokine opened the door for modernism, but “he himself failed to cross its threshold (Garafola 50).” This first step was taken by Vaslav Nijinsky. During his time with the Ballets Russes, Nijinsky created only four works; L’Après-midi d’un Faune (1912), Jeux (1913), Le Sacre du Printemps (1913), and Till Eulenspiegel (1916). During this time, modern ballet has its first definitive split into Russian and Western techniques. Nijinsky became the Ballets Russes single most successful member during its twenty years in existence.

GENERAL REMARKS: • Throughout the movement Brahms uses quotations of the F-A-F motif excessively, in various parts and contexts, sometimes in obvious or not so obvious ways. • An interesting aspect of this movement regarding harmony, is the persistent use of the interval of the Third (Major and minor) as means of modulations or harmonic

There are many differences and similarities between the fourth movement of Beethven’s Fifth symphony and the fourth movement of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, whether it is the orchestrastion of the pieces, the dynamics, form and period. Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most well known Classical composers in music history, born into a family of musicians and was seen by his father as a profitable prodigy and had several of his piano compositions published by the age of twelve. He was the first successful freelance composer and changed the way music was composed and performed as he composed pieces that defied the standard ways of composing during the Classical era by using an expanded form structure, larger orchestra, dramatic themes and replaced minuet and trio with scherzo and trio making the third movements of his symphonies faster than traditionally performed. He also treated instruments as individuals instead of grouping them together such as the bass instruments which originally formed the Basso continuo. Beethoven experimented with the ways an instrument could be played , creating new sounds, and would have large pitch ranges between instruments which aided in the expressiveness and drama of his pieces.

Saying that the way orchestral conductors move is “wild” and “frenzied” is a rather uneducated observation. Yes, Stravinsky is a composer who wrote some amazing symphonies, but composers typically do not understand the ways of a conductor and the purpose of why they conduct in the way they do. Conductors get so absorbed in the crescendos and the beauty of the music that they release themselves and let the music control them. You have to contemplate the job and to a point even educate yourself on what the true role of a conductor is to form an opinion that is more realistic to the truth. The diction Stravinsky uses

He would soon begin to take private music lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov. Whom became like a second father to Igor Stravinsky. Teaching him all about composing and teaching him new different sounds. They would do these private lessons twice weekly, but soon also the man who he became very close with would also pass away in the year of 1908. Not all things were bad for Igor Stravinsky, he has did something that would be extremely unusual now, but what is quite common back in the day.

“The Rite of Spring” was certainly the most controversial piece of orchestral music of its time. The piece, composed by the Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky, included a great deal of uncommon musical elements. But was it really that uncommon? The world-changing ballet, “The Rite of Spring” was so controversial when it debuted in 1913, because it completely contradicted the common rhythmic and harmonic languages of the music at the time. The choreography and costumes were a main part of the reason why the audience reacted with negativity and riots.

In the book, Symphony for the City of the Dead, by M.T. Anderson, the author accentuates the composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, to describe the composer’s devotion for his city and country. The novel was set during 1905-1975 in northern Europe and western Russia. When Shostakovich lived in Leningrad, Russia, during World War 2, he wrote symphonies. He expressed his feelings of horror and hope for Russia's victory against the Nazi power in his symphonies. Although, his seventh symphony was the most significant to all globally in this time of war.

Another composer who played an important role in the development of the Symphony is no other than Joseph Haydn, the ‘Father of Symphony’. One of his works, Symphony no. 92 in G Major, Hob I:92, composed in 1789, will be reviewed. “Oxford” Symphony was commissioned by Count d’Ogny for the Loge Olympique Concerts in Paris. It is known as “Oxford” because Haydn presented this symphony at the Sheldonian Theater at Oxford University in July 1791, where he was awarded a honorary doctorate degree. This symphony displays Haydn’s mature style of composition, presenting his capability to utilize thematic development, counterpoint and a mixture of distinctive moods.

The post 1945 period saw a considerable amount of changes in music. Different styles emerged, such as serial music, electroacoustic music, minimalistic music, and many others. Minimalism originated in ‘downtown’ New York City ring the early 1960s, and was initially considered to be a form of experimental music, as it was a totally different style of music as to what Stravinsky or Shostakovich wrote. Richard E. Rodda’s view on Minimalistic music was that it was based upon multiple repetitions of slowly changing chords. Minimalism evolved due to the ambitions of composers during that time.

• Later while still continuing to dance he studied at the Petrograd Conservatory of Music. • His extensive music taining enabled

Benjamin Woods stated that the use of parallel harmony could be seen as a departure from older conventions for harmonic progression, since “[it] reflected a crisis for traditional tonality.” The Russian music theory scholar Igor Vladimirovich Sposobin established the music theory of traditional Russian school based on the Classical foundations and in his theory parallel harmony is deemed wrong in the Classical context. The prohibition of parallel harmony in the traditional harmonic convention makes Prokofiev’s excessive use of parallel harmony a breakthrough of the traditional Classicism, adding atonality to the music. And the parallel harmony “gives rise to fresh root relationships and inflections of the scale.”

Zhang Zhou Yaodong Professor Greg Peterson Classical styles and romantic spirits 2 November 2016 Richard Strauss Violin Sonata Richard Strauss (1864-1949), was a leading German composer and conductor. His orchestral compositions and operas have made him one of the best known composers of the late Romantic and early modern eras. While Strauss did not pay much attention to his chamber music in his later life, in earlier years he tried to compose several different types of chamber works such as a string quartet, two piano trios, a piano quartet and several instrumental sonatas. Now I will introduce his last work of chamber music, the violin sonata. At the age of 23, Strauss composed

3 and Four Pieces for Piano, Op. 4 to demonstrate the development of his innovative style, and compare them with Sarcasms in aspects of harmony, rhythm, piano devices, and texture to show the innovations Prokofiev applied in the

Known as one of the most popular of the Ballet Russes, the production Petrushka, choreographed by Michel Fokine with music composed by Igor Stravinsky, presents an unconventional approach to ballet in the early 1900’s. Fokine combined his ballet experience and knowledge of the dramatic arts to design a highly stimulating production that’s influence has allowed many dance academies to continually perform. The four scene ballet tells the story of love and jealousy between three puppets at a fair in St. Petersburg, Russia. Petrushka professes his love to the Ballerina, but she rejects him for the Moor instead, initiating jealousy. Provoking the Moor to a battle, Petrushka is finally killed by the Moor’s sword.