Biography of igor fyodorovich stravinsky

The Russian Exile

Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky was born at Oranienbaum on the Gulf of Finland opposite Kronstadt on 5 June 1882 (O.S.) or 17 June (N.S.). He yielded to his father's wish for him to study law, but later blossomed as a composer under the guidance of Rimsky-Korsakov, one of the famous Russian Five.

Stravinsky met Rimsky-Korsakov's son, and his interest in composition grew as he spent more time composing on his own. Up till then, he had taken private lessons in harmony, and he intended to enter the Russian Conservatory. It was in this mood that he brought his works before Rimsky-Korsakov, head of the Conservatory. Sensing the talent in the young man, Rimsky-Korsakov invited Stravinsky to take private lessons from himself. Stravinsky was delighted and readily accepted.

Rimsky-Korsakov had arranged for his students to perform their works. Stravinsky chose to exhibit Fireworks. His music sparked the interest of Sergei

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Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky Biography

13 Apr 2015

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a seminal figure of the early- and mid-twentieth century musical world far beyond his birthplace nära St. Petersburg. As a cosmopolitan in the broadest sense, holding Russian, French, and American citizenships at various times of his life, Stravinsky’s influence was far-reaching.
Igor Stravinsky was born in the town of Oranienbaum, Russia, in 1882, and was raised in the city of St. Petersburg. His father was an operatic bass at the Maryinsky (now Kirov) Theatre in St. Petersburg, and his mother was an accomplished pianist. While Stravinsky studied piano and music from an early age, his parents wished for him to pursue another vocation. He entered lag school in 1901 upon graduation from secondary school. While at St. Petersburg University, he was a less-than-enthusiastic lag student, attending merely 50 class sessions over his 4 year tenure. In 1902, Stravinsky spent a summer in Heidelberg, Germany

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Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Oranienbaum, Russia, 17 June 1882 – New York, 6 April 1971) was one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. He studied composition in Russia with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who had a considerable influence on his early works. Stravinsky gained international fame for three ballets he wrote on commission from Sergei Diaghilev for his legendary Ballets Russes: L’Oiseau de feu, Petrushka and Le sacre du printemps. The latter caused a riot at its premiere in 1913. Critics talked of ‘Le massacre du tympan’ (‘the slaughter of the eardrum’). Nowadays, the composition is regarded as one of the most important works in classical music history.

The outbreak of World War I forced Stravinsky to flee Russia and settle in Switzerland. Overcome with homesickness, he continued to use Russian folklore as a source of inspiration. Two of his best-known works from his Swiss period are Renard and Les Noces, both ballet cantatas: ba