Today is birthday of Igor Stravinsky one of the famous Russian composer, painter of 20th century music. He was one of the most influential person in that era. He was famous for his stylistic diversity .He had composed no of musical lyrics of his era which were best known for touching new musical heights.
His home was three blocks from where I lived when I was going to UCLA but I never personally met him -- he did show up at a Sunday Chamber Music Concert at the Museum of Natural History and really got wrapped up when they played some Bach.
The Joffrey Ballet performed the revival based on the original Nijinksy chreography for the Diaghliev and Fokine original ballet production -- Part Two is also posted on YouTube if you follow the link. I believe the DVD is still available:
Sacre du Printemps is, of course, Stravinsky's signature piece, the one for which he's best known. But he wrote some very interesting music along the way. As well as being a classically trained composer, he was also a jazz fan and wrote a piece dedicated to Woody Herman. The day Woody Herman's death was announced, my local NPR station (WGBH-Boston) interrupted regularly scheduled classical programming to play Stravinsky's tribute to Herman.
You would be hard pressed to find the original Woody Herman but in 2008, the piece Ebony Concerto was performed at the Proms! Always hit the HQ (high quality) button to get the best sound and picture -- the difference in the sound of this piece is really astounding.
BTW, the entire Sacre du Pritemps with Giergev and the London Symphony is also on YouTube -- just follow the link. Doesn't quite sound as good as my 7.1 Dolby with the DSP set on concert hall, but it's pretty good over the better earphones.
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Lightwizard
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Tue 7 Jul, 2009 03:15 pm
A more avante garde Uwe Scholz choreographed "Le Sacre" is very graphic and, of course, adults only on DVD:
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