Discover the music of Igor Stravinsky, one of the 20th century’s most important creative figures, in a series of five podcasts from his publisher Boosey & Hawkes. Jonathan Cross reassesses Stravinsky’s achievement, 50 years after the composer’s death, with a selection of musical examples illustrating the rich variety of his works. Stravinsky’s deep fascination with time and rhythm is explained and the podcasts explore his interests ranging across art, literature, myth, faith, dance and jazz. We join the composer’s journey, from 19th century Russian romanticism, through a sequence of pioneering ballets and a new look at classical traditions in the 1920s and 30s, to a radical post-war reinvention in the USA. Stravinsky’s legacy is reassessed and his complex connections with other classical composers is charted throughout his lifetime and beyond.
The roles of myth, faith and memory in Stravinsky’s works is explored, from Russian chant to Greek classicism.
Music includes Mavra, Symphony of Psalms, Oedipus Rex.
Are you discovering Stravinsky for the first time, or returning in 2021 to the music of a lifelong favourite? We invite you to listen to this new series of audio podcasts, presented by his publisher Boosey & Hawkes in honour of the 50th anniversary of his death. Each of the five short episodes is hosted by Jonathan Cross of Oxford University and author of a recent critical biography of the composer.
