TITLE: Ebony Concerto (1945)
COMPOSER: Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Igor Stravinsky was a native from Oranienbaum, Russia. Stravinsky went through many style changes throughout his career, moving from a subjective style to an objective one. Stravinsky has three major style periods. His Russian Period spans from 1882-1922. During this time, he studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and became close friends with Sergi Diagilev of the Russian Ballet Company (based in Paris), who he collaborated with regarding his three early ballets, Firebird, Petroushka and Rite of Spring. He used many Russian themes with programmatic titles during this compositional period. His Neoclassical Period begins in 1923, while he lived in Paris. It was during this time that he was very concerned with form, composing many works in sonata form. Even the titles of these works were neoclassical. He composed the Octet, Symphony of Psalms and piano concertos during this era. Stravinsky moved to the United States in 1940 where he taught composition at the University of Southern California. In 1951, Stravinsky began his 12-Tone style period with works such as Agon (1953), an abstract ballet with twelve dances.
MOVEMENTS: Three
PERFORMANCE TIME: 9' 14"
INSTRUMENTATION: 20 Instruments
EDITIONS: Rental
1. Boosey and Hawkes - 200 Smith Street, Farmingdale, NY 11735
COMPOSITION SKETCH AND MUSICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Igor Stravinsky's Ebony Concerto, for clarinet and jazz band, was written in 1945 on commission by clarinetist Woody Herman. Throughout its three movements-a nervously pulsing opening Allegro moderato: a smoky, "bluesy" middle Andante; a rhythmically active final Moderato- the piece pursues a relentless course of pitting angular rhythms against each other in order to achieve, almost paradoxically, a final effect of near pristine classical purity in structure. Nearly every genre and form was touched by Stravinsky. He was a native to Oranienbaum, Russia, and studied with Rimsky-Korsakov. In 1909, he began his successful collaboration with choreographer Serge Diagilev and the Paris-based Ballets Russes. He lived in Switzerland during World War I, in Paris from 1920-1939, and then moved to the United States in 1940. He taught composition at the University of Southern California and died in New York in 1971.
SELECTED RECORDINGS:
| Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein and others | Chandos/9210 (1993) |
| Stoltzman performs Copland, Stravinsky, Bernstein and others | BMG Classics/61360 (1987) |
| Soldh, Steckar, Naulais and others | Pierre Verany/794115 (1994) |
| Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms | Philips/442583 (1974) |
| Stravinsky: Concerto for clarinet | Everest/9049 |
| Bartok, Beethoven, Mozart and others | Polygram/Gramm/447398 (1981) |
| Stravinsky: Concerto for orchestra in Ef | Grammophon/447405 (1981) |
| Stravinsky: Sacre du Printemps | Gemm/9292 (1946) |
| Prokofiev: Symphony No1 | Panton/0458 (1986) |
| Copland, Marin, Milhaud and others | Panton/810884 (1986) |
| English, McKinley, Misurell-Mitchell and others | Master Musicians Collect/2005 |
| Stravinsky, Bernstein, Gould and others | Reference Recordings/55 |
| Stravinsky: Concerto for clarinet | Disques Pierre Verany/794115 |
| Copland, Stravinsky, Bernstein and others | RCA/61360 |
| Stravinsky: Concerto for clarinet | Arkadia/145 (1993) |
| Copland, Marin, Milhaud and others | Panton/810884 |
| Bernstein, Copland, Stravinsky and others | CBS/42227 |
| Stoltzman performs , Ward, Stravinsky and others | RCA/6486 (1987) |
| Stravinsky: Concerto for orchestra in Ef | Sony/46290 |
RELATED WEBSITES:
Stravinsky Biography - http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/stravnsk.html
Life and Works of Stravinsky - http://www.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Stravinsky/
Internet Public Library Page on Stravinsky - http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/mushist/twen/stravinsky.htm