It's Stravinsky's birthday! This Russian composer is regarded as one of the most significant musicians of all time--Time magazine included him on their list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, and NY Times critic Anthony Tommasini recently anointed him one of the top ten composers of all time.
We often think of the bombastic, crackling, riot-causing Rite of Spring, which changed the course of music history, like an earthquake changes the course of a river. But I also enjoy Stravinsky's rapturous melody-making.
Above we see Igor conducting the Finale to The Firebird Suite (you can see him conduct the full Firebird here--the applause never...stops....). Be patient for the start of this video. It takes a while to begin for some reason.
Thank you, Igor!!
* attribution - anonymous comment on youtube
Below the jump, I've posted a video of the gorgeous segment from Fantasia 2000 using Stravinksy's music and my musings on the only movie I know of covering Stravinsky.
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The Richmond Philharmonic will hold its much-beloved annual "Just for Fun" summer concert this Sunday, June 19th at 6 pm. The concert will be conducted by guest conductor Paul Kim. Robert Mirakian takes the helm again this fall. The orchestra will play light classics and popular swing tunes, as well as the obligatory but appropriate patriotic charts.Details (from their website):
Just for Fun - A Free Summer Family Concert
Sunday, June 19, 2011 - 6:00 p.m.
Free Outdoor Concert
(Bring chairs or blankets for seating, and have a lawn picnic if you like. Limited seating is available inside the pavilion.)
The Gardens at Sunday Park in Brandermill
Free Outdoor Concert
(Bring chairs or blankets for seating, and have a lawn picnic if you like. Limited seating is available inside the pavilion.)
The Gardens at Sunday Park in Brandermill
Below: Gorgeous-absolutely gorgeous...
It's time for another Fantasia, Disney!!
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To celebrate Igor's birthday, get a bottle of wine--or vodka--and queue up the strange French movie Coco and Igor. I have mixed feelings about biopics concerning persons who can't defend themselves, particularly when inflammatory material--the rumored affair between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky--is covered in lascivious detail. However, like Amadeus, the movie gives tantalizing glimpses into possible scenarios for artistic creation--we see the young and debonair Stravinsky smashing his big mitts on Coco Chanel's piano; his ailing wife edits his work dispassionately, pointing out his flaws unsparingly. Coco Chanel also has harsh words for the composer's art-making.
The imposing (and underused) Mads Mikkelsen does a reasonable job of embodying a complex man--one who is immaculately well-groomed, stoic in his mannerisms, explosively passionate, deeply religious. And I'm such a music geek, I was glad just to see any treatment of this composer
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