Igor Stravinsky (20th Century Composers) [Paperback]

Michael Oliver (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 1995 | Series: 20th Century Composers

This is a biography of Igor Stravinsky, who is seen as a great inventor and discoverer of modern music, a figure comparable to his close friend and contemporary Pablo Picasso. The book traces the influences that formed Stravinsky's style, setting all his major works in context. It devotes particular attention to his childhood in pre-Revolutionary Russia, whose formative influence Stravinsky acknowledged later in life. His discovery by the impresario Diaghilev, his fruitful collaborations with such choreographers as Mikhail Fokine and George Balanchine, and with many of the great dancers (Nijinsky, Karavina), painters and designers (Bakst, Picasso) of his time are fully described, as well as his many productive relationships with such writers as Cocteau, Gide and W.H. Auden. Above all, the book concentrates on Stravinsky's creativity, describing how his musical mind worked and relating this to his complex personality. This text is part of the 20th-century composers series, examining composers in a biographical context, and offering a comprehensive study of key figures in the creation of 20th-century music. None of the books in the series presume a knowledge of specialized terms or musical notation. Each book in the series features a list of works, a bibliography, and a discography.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From his unhappy childhood in St. Petersburg through his years in Paris and the United States, from The Nightingale through The Owl and the Pussycat, British writer Michael Oliver traces the life and work of Igor Stravinsky. His landmark ballet, The Rite of Spring is thought of as a classic today, but it inspired riots at its Paris premiere in 1913. Oliver follows Stravinsky's work from juvenilia through modernism and serialism and back to tonalism in an easily accessible biography, part of the Phaidon Press Limited 20th Century Composers series. This book, which never gets too technical, makes a good start for anyone with a growing interest in Stravinsky and his music. There is a guide to his works and to other biographies in the back of the book.

About the Author

Michael Oliver was a well-known writer and broadcaster, having written and compiled hundreds of documentaries and programs about music for BBC Radio 3. He was a regular contributor to Gramaphone, among other magazines, for over twenty years until his death in 2002. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (January 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714831581
• ISBN-13: 978-0714831589
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,534,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Accurate Account of A 20th Century Master, July 16, 2001

By 

A. Lukas (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Igor Stravinsky (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)

Igor Stravinsky is truly one of the giants, if not the giant, of 20th century music. Michael Oliver accurately captures the essence of the man and his music in this book about the man and his life and times.

First of all, the book is well written. The music is described thoroughly and there is also a discography as well as a catalogue of the works written by Stravinsky. For the most part, this book is a biography with its central focus on Stravinsky. We meet various characters that played an important role in Stravinsky's life including the impresario Serge Diaghilev. I highly recommend this book to anybody who wants to be enlightened about one of the giants of twentieth century music.

4.0 out of 5 stars The little known Stravinsky, September 11, 2010

By 

Mthorax - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Igor Stravinsky (20th Century Composers) (Paperback)

This is an interesting little book about a somewhat overlooked composer. The author has packed it with a number of surprising details of his private life which help give insight into his creative genius. Additionally, he spent a great deal of time analyzing each of his major works and then lining them up to demonstrate the evolution of his final imprint on music. Near the end of his life, for instance, the influence of Arnold Schoenberg's twelve note serial techniques began to seep into Stravinsky's works for the first time - something he had long resisted. Finally, the book is filled with rare and long forgotten photographs of the man and his time and these alone are almost worth the price of the book.