Favorite Stravinsky 'Phase'

[schnittkease]

Stravinsky went through three distinct phases during his long career. He first achieved fame with three ballets (The Firebird [1910], Petrushka [1911] and the Rite of Spring [1913]). His "Russian phase" was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassical music. The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto grosso, fugue, and symphony), drawing on earlier styles, especially from the 18th century. In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures. His compositions of this period, however, still shared traits with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, and clarity of form.

[Mahlerian]

I can't rank them qualitatively.  If the serial period had the fewest masterpieces, it was only because he wrote the fewest works during those years.

[Madiel]

Ooh. Interesting question... which I don't want to answer just yet because I'm currently undertaking a chronological exploration of Stravinsky's work, much of which is unfamiliar.  And I'm only up to Pulcinella (1920).

[Monsieur Croche]

My only problem with the posited Q is this:  The works from any of the his three stylistic periods remain indelibly stamped with "Stravinsky," in all aspects.  Such a high percentage of the entire oeuvre is fine, with an unusually high number of masterworks, both large and smaller scale, that I can't imagine truly 'favoring,' one period over the other.

So call me indiscriminate;  I like'em all.

[snyprrr]

Stravinsky went through three distinct phases during his long career. He first achieved fame with three ballets (The Firebird [1910], Petrushka [1911] and the Rite of Spring [1913]). His "Russian phase" was followed in the 1920s by a period in which he turned to neoclassical music. The works from this period tended to make use of traditional musical forms (concerto grosso, fugue, and symphony), drawing on earlier styles, especially from the 18th century. In the 1950s, Stravinsky adopted serial procedures. His compositions of this period, however, still shared traits with examples of his earlier output: rhythmic energy, and clarity of form.

I need to divide it even further:


1) Pure Russian: 'Firebird', '...Verlaine', first Act of 'Le Rossignol'... and I guess 'Petrouchka' (though I call it transitional)

2) 'Le Sacre' gets its own "phase"... nothing like it before, or after...

2b) The really bizarre stuff like the '3 Pieces for SQ', 'Pribaoutki', 'Cat's Cradle'... '4 Russian Choruses'


3) JAZZ Phase: 'Renard', 'Historie du Soldat', 'Ragtime', 'Piano-Rag Music', '3 Pieces for Clarinet'


4) PULCINELLA-JEU DE CARTES: these two, plus all the violin/piano music, seem to be outside of everything else. 'Pulcinella' is quite unlike anything else, so I put it alone.


5) Yes, his NeoClassical phase is his FIFTH PHASE, LOL!! 'Octet', 'Symphonies of Wind Instruments', Piano Concerto, Piano Sonata/Serenade

5b) The continuation, but this time there is supreme control: everything from 'Oedipus' to 'Persephone' (minus the '4 Etudes', which still belong in 2b)

JEU separates 5b from 5c.

5c) Everything from 'Dumbarton Oaks' to 'Orpheus'

5d) THE 'ENGLISH' PHASE: 'The Rake's Progress', 'Cantata', maybe the Septet.


NO MAN'S LAND: 1951/2- 1954/5


6a) Transitional Serial Works: 'Canticum Sacrum', 'Agon', and I like to put 'Threni' here too (I know, I know). I WANT to put 'Requiem Canticles' here too, just because it fits in with these vocal works, but,... I know.

6b) Full Serial: 'Movements', 'Variations', 'Epitaphium', 'Double Canon', 'The Owl and the Pussycat', '2 Sketches for A Sonata'


I consider the orchestrations to generally be outside of the "phase" argument (Gesualdo, Sibelius, etc.).


THERE!! That should do it!

[The new erato]

Good post!

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Russian. There is no beating Firebird.

[ritter]

You won't make me chose! I don't want to choose! Why choose? 

[vandermolen]

Most definitely the 'Russian' phase.

[Turner]

A slight preference for 1st and 2nd period - but then I really like the Orchestral Variations and the Movements, and have heard less of the latest works.

[North Star]

It might be this one.

[NikF]

You won't make me chose! I don't want to choose! Why choose? 

I don't want to choose one either.

But in other news...

It might be this one.

The one in this late 60s Avedon shot, although it's also cool as part of the triptych.

[Ken B]

This is the easiest question since "Who's your favorite Bach?" Neo-classical by the width of Siberia.

[SymphonicAddict]

Both Russian and Neoclassical phases are good, but serialist... music gets awful to my ears.

[Mahlerian]

Both Russian and Neoclassical phases are good, but serialist... music gets awful to my ears.

What sounds so bad about this???

https://www.youtube.com/v/YnBNG9qu8E0

[SymphonicAddict]

What sounds so bad about this???

https://www.youtube.com/v/YnBNG9qu8E0

It sounds nothing bad actually. 5 movements for piano and orchestra and Agon (serial period) do sound strange. That is the kind of works I don't like.

[Mahlerian]

It sounds nothing bad actually. 5 movements for piano and orchestra and Agon (serial period) do sound strange. That is the kind of works I don't like.

But it's a 12-tone serial work.  It's from the same period as the other two, and more consistently serial than the latter.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

The neoclassical and serial works sound pretty much in the same style to my ears and I like both over his earlier works. I do think that maybe there are one or two pieces from his final decade of composition I'm a bit more enthusiastic about than the rest....

[Madiel]

Still collecting more data as I explore chronologically. Les Noces was good.

I already know Agon, though. I quite liked Agon. So maybe I'm going to like all 3 periods a fair amount?

[Ken B]

So maybe I'm going to like all 3 periods a fair amount?

Most of us do But you'll probably find one period has more favorites than the others.