# Stravinsky's essential works



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

A question for Stravinsky fans. Aside from the big three early ballets (Firebird, Petrushka and the Rite), which Stravinsky works do you consider essential for a decent collection of his music? If possible it would be good for big fans to keep it at less than 20.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

My choices would go something like this:

*Orchestral:*

_Symphonies of Wind Instruments_ (1920):
Violin Concerto (1933):
_Ebony Concerto_ for clarinet and jazz band/ensemble (1945):

*Chamber/Instrumental*

Suite from _L'Histoire du soldat_ for violin, clarinet, and piano (1919):
Wind Octet (1923):
Piano Sonata (1924):
Septet for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and piano (1953):

*Vocal/Choral*

_Symphony of Psalms_ for choir and orchestra (1930):
_Mass_ for choir and ten wind instruments (by 1948):
_Threni_ for solo voices, choir, and orchestra (1958)

*Stage Works*

_Petrushka_ - ballet (1911):
_The Rite of Spring_ - ballet (1913):
_Oedipus Rex_ - opera (1927):
_Persephone_ - melodrama for speaker, solo voices, choir and orchestra (1933):
_Orpheus_ - ballet (1947):
_The Rake's Progress_ - opera (by 1951):


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## samm (Jul 4, 2011)

Would fit on a single CD. He didn't write a long list of great works.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Elgars ghost made a pretty good list, in the sense that I would have picked most of them as well. I would add Firebird, and Dumbarton Oaks.


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

Les noces. Apart from the three early ballets, this is the first one that came into mind. A masterpiece IMO, it's also very addictive.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Beyond the three big early ballets, I'd strongly recommend:

Oedipus Rex
Renard
Les Noces*
Apollon musagete*
Orpheus
Agon
Pulcinella*
Symphony in C
Symphony of Psalms*
Circus Polka!!
Violin Concerto*
Requiem Canticles
Three Pieces for Clarinet
Dumbarton Oaks
Ebony Concerto

* The Asterisk is my specially-awarded asterisk of essentialness


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

They have been mentioned already but I would easily say the Violin Concerto and Pulcinella (along with the three ballets) would make a great top 5.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Great thread, Enthusiast. Having been a complete fiend for Stravinsky's music lately, I feel slightly qualified to contribute to this list of his essential works. 

With the exclusion of his early ballets: Song of the Nightingale, Les Noces, Symphony of Psalms, Symphony in 3 Movements, Requiem Canticles, Violin Concerto. There are many I still have yet to hear, but of those I have heard, these are works I wouldn't want to be without.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Symphony in Three Movements is one of my favourite works by Igor. Don't know why but never liked his Symphony in C.

Never listened to Threni till now, but it is quite something.


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## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

Something like this: 

Les Noces
Oedipus Rex 
Symphony of Psalms
Mass
Threni
Requiem Canticles 
Rake’s Progress 
Violin Concerto
Concerto for Winds and Piano
Pulcinella
Agon 
Orpheus 
Apollon Musagete
Fairy’s Kiss 
Wind Octet 
Septet


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I'm a little surprised there are not more Stravinsky fans among us but only a little. There is quite a lot of agreement among our select band on the key works. My own list - compiled before I posted the OP - is as follows.

The Nightingale (1914) - _the opera - I name it a key work because I like it but must acknowledge that it hasn't established itself._
Chant du Rossignol (1917)
Les Noces (1914-17)
Pulcinella (1920) _The ballet not the suite._ 
Symphonies for Wind (1920)
Octet (1923)
Oedipus (1927)
Le Baiser de la Fee (1928) (_The Fairy's Kiss)_
Apollo (1928)
Symphony of Psalms (1930)
Violin Concerto (1931)
Persephone (1933) _Less popular than it should be - some of Stravinsky's most beautiful music._
Symphony in 3 movements (1945)
Orpheus (1947)
Mass (1948)
Agon (1957)
Threni (1958)
Movements for Piano and Orchestra (1959)
Requiem canticles (1966)

I am less sure about Concerto for Piano and Wind (1923-24) but do love it myself. I was also unsure what to do about the Symphony in C (1940) because I love the first two movements (written before he left for USA) a lot but can't find much to like in the remaining two movements (written while trying to settle in the US). And I have never been sure how I feel about the Rake's Progress (1951) - maybe I need to see it.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

^The opera Nightingale is indeed great. Been listening to the Robert Craft/Philharmonia recording lately. Underrated

I agree that we Stravinsky fans are too few. I keep attempting to prompt discussion in his Composer Guestbook thread, but no one seems interested.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Enthusiast said:


> A question for Stravinsky fans. Aside from the big three early ballets (Firebird, Petrushka and the Rite), which Stravinsky works do you consider essential for a decent collection of his music? If possible it would be good for big fans to keep it at less than 20.


Agon, Noces, Five pieces from Warsaw


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Mandryka said:


> Agon, Noces, Five pieces from Warsaw


Not familiar with the latter. Do you have a link?


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## Supersalmon (Feb 18, 2019)

May I add one that I don't think anyone else has mentioned yet, that's the neo-classical Jeu de Cartes


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

flamencosketches said:


> Not familiar with the latter. Do you have a link?


No, my mistake. Confused with Schoenberg's Five pieces for orchestra, op. 16 -- which is also very good.

The confusion arose because I've got an astonishing performance of the Schoenberg, together with an equally amazing performance by him of Rite of Spring, from concerts in Milan and Turin in the 1960s. Let me know if you want it.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Mandryka said:


> No, my mistake. Confused with Schoenberg's Five pieces for orchestra, op. 16 -- which is also very good.
> 
> The confusion arose because I've got an astonishing performance of the Schoenberg, together with an equally amazing performance by him of Rite of Spring, from concerts in Milan and Turin in the 1960s. Let me know if you want it.


Yeah, that sounds great, who is the conductor? As I might have mentioned to you I've been looking for more recordings of le Sacre, and still have yet to find one of Schoenberg's Five Pieces that I'm totally satisfied with. Robert Craft on Naxos is the best one yet.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

What everyone else said.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

The idea that Stravinsky wrote nothing of any value after the three great ballets is an opinion that has come up, both here and on the Essential Recordings thread. No sinister intentions intended, but I was wondering whether this was still a commonly-held view, and whether any of the contributors here think this, or maybe occasionally find themselves thinking this??

I certainly did for a long time, and thought most post-Rite stuff was boring.....it did take a while to start appreciating some of his later works, that much is true...


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I heard and fell in love with neoclassical Stravinsky as a child before I heard any of the big three ballets. After decades of listening I still find his music, including the same pieces I fell in love with back then, wonderful. I have always had a special thing for music that refuses to make big gestures but gets there anyway.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Enthusiast said:


> I heard and fell in love with neoclassical Stravinsky as a child before I heard any of the big three ballets. After decades of listening I still find his music, including the same pieces I fell in love with back then, wonderful. I have always had a special thing for music that refuses to make big gestures but gets there anyway.


I think it was Apollo that did it for me!

"My music is best understood by children and animals." - the man himself!


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

flamencosketches said:


> Yeah, that sounds great, who is the conductor? As I might have mentioned to you I've been looking for more recordings of le Sacre, and still have yet to find one of Schoenberg's Five Pieces that I'm totally satisfied with. Robert Craft on Naxos is the best one yet.


Bruno Maderna

Smsmxmxm


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I have left you a PM with the concert recordings.

In fact probably the best Rite I know is by Markevich in Warsaw, a wonderful combination of control and madness






There's a CD with this which I really should like to buy.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I'm really surprised that as far as I can tell, with my internet-damaged reading skills and 34-second attention span, no one has noted the wonderful opera The Rake's Progress. (Gasp: Stravinsky wrote an _opera?_) We did some scenes from it many years ago when I was a chorister-in-residence one summer at the Lake George Opera Festival. I had to check that I got the title right, but sure enough, there it is, a single slim two-CD set nestled in alphabetically between vast amounts of Strauss and Tchaikovsky.

The sole performance I have of this on CD (how old-fashioned am I? George, don't you know you _download songs _now?) is under the direction of John Eliot Gardiner with Bryn Terfel, Ian Bostridge, Anne Sofie von Otter as Baba the Turk, and Deborah York/London Symphony Orchestra. It's a terrific lot of fun. In spots.

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Barelytenor said:


> I'm really surprised that as far as I can tell, with my internet-damaged reading skills and 34-second attention span, no one has noted the wonderful opera The Rake's Progress.


Post 2. ..................


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

^See there? :lol:


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I should start a Thread on How To Not To Have To Read Threads.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

I find Stravinsky a little boring too, even the celebrated Sacre du printemps


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Thanks again, Mandryka. You’re not the first here to bestow such high praise oh Markevitch’s Rite. I’ll have to check it out.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

I can't possibly go less than 30 "Essentials" with this great and essential composer:

The Firebird
Petrushka
The Rite of Spring
Les Noces
Pulcinella
Apollon musagète
Orpheus
Jeu de cartes
Agon
A Soldier's Tale
Oedpius Rex
The Rake's Progress
Three Russian Sacred Choruses
Mass
Canticum Sacrum
Symphony of Psalms
Symphony in C
Symphony in Three Movements
Violin Concerto in D
Ebony Concerto
Capriccio For Piano & Orchestra
The Song of the Nightingale
Fireworks
Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Ragtime for Eleven Instruments
Tango
Octet
Pastorale
Quatre études
Piano Rag


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Jacck said:


> I find Stravinsky a little boring too, even the celebrated Sacre du printemps


You must be pretty hard to please. The Rite boring?


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Great thread - 

pleased to see the following inclusions:

Octet for Winds - a splendid little masterpiece, great piece, very challenging
Pulcinella
Jeu des Cartes


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Here are downloads of almost everything listed here for 99 cents

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Box-Stra...nsky+stokowski&qid=1576171342&s=dmusic&sr=1-7


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

The more I listen to this composer, the more I love him. There are also so many little 'byways' in his output that are just wonderful. I recently discovered these gems:


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## Lisztian (Oct 10, 2011)

CnC Bartok said:


> The idea that Stravinsky wrote nothing of any value after the three great ballets is an opinion that has come up, both here and on the Essential Recordings thread. No sinister intentions intended, but I was wondering whether this was still a commonly-held view, and whether any of the contributors here think this, or maybe occasionally find themselves thinking this??
> 
> I certainly did for a long time, and thought most post-Rite stuff was boring.....it did take a while to start appreciating some of his later works, that much is true...


I prefer his post-Rite stuff! To me, the Rite is 'just another' of his many wonderful pieces.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

Long time Stravinsky fan. At the very top of my list of favourite composers, #1 by a considerable distance. I wonder if I'm alone.


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## christomacin (Oct 21, 2017)

He's not Number One for me, but he does crack my Top 10 at number 10 (over more obvious choices like Chopin or Tchaikovsky):

1. Bach
2. Beethoven
3. Mozart
4. Haydn
5. Handel
6. Brahms
7. Schubert
8. Wagner
9. Debussy
10. Stravinsky

These are the composers I put him ahead of: 
Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Dvorak, Liszt, Berlioz, Mahler, Strauss, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Shostakovitch, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Ravel, Bartok, Bruckner


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## Zhdanov (Feb 16, 2016)

to get more insight as to what Le Sacre Du Printemps might concern this maybe helpful -











https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wicker_Man


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## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

I hadn't listened to much Stravinsky previously, but what I had listened to I found a bit noisy and not especially profound. However, only this week I discovered Stravinsky's incredible late works - the Requiem Canticles and Movements for Piano and Orchestra, which are now among my favourite pieces of all time. Perhaps this will motivate me to revisit his earlier works! Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

^ Amazing works, indeed. But I wonder which of his pieces you found noisy? Many of his neoclassical works (which make up most of his output) are quietly and beautifully austere. His serialist compositions (the late pieces) have the same voice but also show him exploring a new (to him) technique. If it is the distinctive voice you liked then you may have a lot of pleasure ahead of you! I suppose the Rite is noisy and Petrushka, too, perhaps. The Firebird ends loudly but much of it is quietly Debussian. These works are masterpieces but hardly typical of the music Stravinsky spent most of his life composing.


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## soni (Jul 3, 2018)

My earlier opinion was probably coloured by having listened to his Piano Sonata a few years back, which I didn't think was that good, and listening to Petrushka, which I did like but wasn't among my favourites. However, I'm listening to the Piano Sonata again now and it's actually a really nice piece of music! If it is as you say, then I'm looking forward to much new pleasure in music listening.


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## Janspe (Nov 10, 2012)

I have been a devout Stravinskian since my teenage years, but only recently did I properly discover the works for two pianos: the Sonata and the Concerto. I've been listening to the Ashkenazy/Gavrilov recording a lot, and I'm just .. _so impressed_ with the music, it's crazy. It feels like every single note is exactly where they ought to be!


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Janspe said:


> I have been a devout Stravinskian since my teenage years, but only recently did I properly discover the works for two pianos: the Sonata and the Concerto. I've been listening to the Ashkenazy/Gavrilov recording a lot, and I'm just .. _so impressed_ with the music, it's crazy. It feels like every single note is exactly where they ought to be!


Sounds like a CD I need to get. I see the two-piano reduction of Le Sacre du Printemps is also included. I heard that the great ballet was played for the very first time before Serge Diaghilev on two pianos by the duo of Stravinsky himself and Claude Debussy. Imagine being in that small audience...


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## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Zvezdoliki
Symphony of Psalms
Symphonies of Wind Instruments
L’Histoire du Soldat

...are some I really love.

I’ve never liked his Violin Concerto


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## Quartetfore (May 19, 2010)

Did I ever mention that I saw Stravinsky conduct one of his choral works with the NY Phil.? It was based on of work of Bach, and was very dull to say the least.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

soni said:


> I hadn't listened to much Stravinsky previously, but what I had listened to I found a bit noisy and not especially profound. However, only this week I discovered Stravinsky's incredible late works - the Requiem Canticles and Movements for Piano and Orchestra, which are now among my favourite pieces of all time. Perhaps this will motivate me to revisit his earlier works! Does anyone have any suggestions?


Maybe you prefer sparser textures? Among earlier works I would suggest the _L'Histoire du soldat_ suite for violin, clarinet and piano and the _Octet_ for winds.


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## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

Did anyone name Les Noces? In some ways, it is more revolutionary than Sacre.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

perdido34 said:


> Did anyone name Les Noces? In some ways, it is more revolutionary than Sacre.


Yes, it was mentioned on the first page. It is a very interesting and unusual work.


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