# Help me Explore Stravinsky (And find other Composers I like)



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I enjoy Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Beethoven and Stravinsky the most.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

I think that, if you like Debussy and Ravel that much, you may also like _Couperin_. _Hummel's_ piano concertos seem like a transition between Beethoven and Chopin to me, so they're worth a check also IMO. And if Mozart is your current favorite composer, what about giving _Haydn_ and _Gluck_ a chance? Mozart seems to have greatly admired both composers, that were his contemporaries.

Also, because they are (together with Beethoven) my absolute favorites for now, I think that you should give _J.S. Bach_ and _Wagner_ a chance also. 

Some music of the mentioned composers for you to listen:

_Couperin, Domine, salvum fac regem_ -> 




_Couperin, Lauda Sion Salvatorem_ -> 




_Hummel, Piano concerto No. 2_ -> 




_Haydn, symphony No. 104_ -> 




_Gluck, Dance of the Blessing Spirits_ -> 




_J.S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue BWV 543_ -> 




_Wagner, Tannhäuser overture_ ->


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Allerius said:


> I think that, if you like Debussy and Ravel that much, you may also like _Couperin_. _Hummel's_ piano concertos seem like a transition between Beethoven and Chopin to me, so they're worth a check also IMO. And if Mozart is your current favorite composer, what about giving _Haydn_ and _Gluck_ a chance? Mozart seems to have greatly admired both composers, that were his contemporaries.
> 
> Also, because they are (together with Beethoven) my absolute favorites for now, I think that you should give _J.S. Bach_ and _Wagner_ a chance also.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much!


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Help me Explore Stravinsky (And find other Composers I like)*



Captainnumber36 said:


> I enjoy Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Beethoven and Stravinsky the most.


I'm not sure what the commonalities are among Mozart, Chopin, Debussy/Ravel (Ok, I see some commonalities there), Beethoven, and Stravinsky aside from them all being great composers, each in his own manner. Giants, all. But, if you want to explore Stravinsky ....

Stravinsky, among all those you listed, proves the most enigmatic and wide-ranging in style. In other words, Stravinsky's music covers a lot of ground, from the early Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration inspired ballets through the later phases of "insect music" and Schoenberg-styled experiments. I sometimes think that the best way to explore Stravinsky is just to start listening to all of his music. Chances are some of it you will greatly love, some of it you may turn away from in annoyance or confusion.

I still recall when I loathed Stravinsky. (Which is about the same time in my youth when I loathed J.S. Bach. I've since seen the error of my ways concerning Bach. Stravinsky remains an open question.) I have no doubt about the greatness of the ballets _Firebird _and _Rite of Spring_. Both works are stunning music, different as they are. I'm one of those persons who owns that giant box set, 20 CDs from DECCA, titled _Le Sacre Du Printemps • 100th Anniversary Collectors Edition_ featuring 38 different recordings of the classic modern masterpiece, _and_ who also owns the SONY CLASSICAL 10 CD box set _Le Sacre Du Printemps 100th Anniversary Collection_ featuring 10 more interpretations of the _Rite_. And I listen to these discs quite regularly, often with the score in hand. This music absolutely fascinates me. Yet, again, I recall when I could not stand it. But I was young and stupid once. (Today I have improved at least one of those detriments by aging some.) In any case, I suggest you take on an exploration of Stravinsky's rather vast and varied oeuvre, and cull from it what you will continue to delight in, and, every once in a while, return again to those pieces which you may not have felt such an immediate affection for (in the sense that I experienced with, say, Stravinsky's _Apollon musagète _ and _Orpheus_, two of Stravinsky's neo-classical period works, which I do not doubt are masterpieces but which continue to elude my affections if not totally my appreciation). Had I completely given up on the _Rite_ at an early age, I would today be wealthier by the price of two box sets of the work; I'm glad I pushed on, however, for there is no dollar amount that measures my current appreciation of this masterpiece. And so will I continue to revisit Stravinsky's neo-classical period works, none of which, as I recall, particularly strike my fancy, and will continue to explore his later period serial styled pieces, none of which (with the possible exception, somewhat, of _Agon_) yet reside in my bloodstream as do the _Rite_, the _Firebird_, and _Petrushka_ of his earlier, Russian period. But only you can explore Stravinsky for yourself. And there is much to explore.















If you do find Stravinsky pieces that strike your fancy, you might explore further composers who have similar sounds or who have directly influenced the Russian master. I, as stated, enjoy the earlier Russian period Stravinsky and thus also enjoy the music of his teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, and of many Russian masters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Likewise, as I don't much care for Stravinsky's neo-classical period works, I realize that I tend to have little fondness for other neo-classical style works, just one of those things I've noticed over my years of music listening. And though Stravinsky's serial works still somewhat elude me, it may be moreso because I tend to seek out serial music (and enjoy a great deal of it!) while tending to ignore Stravinsky in favor of searching out pieces I have yet to hear in the serial vein.

Meanwhile, there is much Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, and Beethoven to hear, and I suspect you have yet to hear it all. (I actually spent a year listening to the complete Mozart, as presented in the big Brilliant Classics box set -- at least one work a day from Jan 1 [K.1] to Dec 31 [Requiem]. As well, I have a couple big box sets of the purported "Complete Beethoven" as well as the complete Chopin and nearly every piece by both Debussy and Ravel. I've heard quite a bit, and love almost all of it from these folks. And, each of these composers leads me in specific directions. Mozart spurs me to explore Arriaga (known as the Spanish Mozart) as well as folks like J.C. Bach and William Herschel. Beethoven naturally leads me into the 19th century Romantic period, beginning with Schubert, following to Brahms and Bruckner, and eventually to Mahler, as well as, gasp!, Ferdinand Ries, "friend, pupil and secretary of Ludwig van Beethoven".

Chopin leads me to other piano music of the Romantic period, such as that of Schumann and Brahms, and eventually to Chopin's greatest successor, Rachmaninoff. And Debussy and Ravel open up an entirely new universe of music called Impressionism, which offers the likes of Frederick Delius, Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz, Arnold Bax, Charles Tomlinson Griffes and Charles Ives as proponents. Way leads to way. And soon one discovers Sibelius and William Schuman, Howard Hanson and John Cage. There's a lot to hear out there. Don't shut out any of it. You never know where something will lead.

All the best.


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## Guest (Oct 28, 2018)

Stravinsky is wonderful. _Agon_ is terrific, definitely worth listening to. I believe there is a recording from the 50s or 60s by Hans Rosbaud which is really good.

Some other works I particularly like include:
_Movements
Threni
Requiem Canticles
The Flood
Canticum Sacrum
Variations
Les Rossignol
Symphony of Psalms
Symphony in Three Movements_

If you like Debussy and Ravel, maybe you'd like Dutilleux.

Do you like Milhaud? Poulenc? Webern? Barber? Copland? Those composer I tend to associate as having something in common with Stravinsky.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

If you like Rite of Spring then try Bartok’s Mirraculous Manderin, Debussy’s Jeux, and Xenakis’s Kraanerg.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

shirime said:


> Stravinsky is wonderful. _Agon_ is terrific, definitely worth listening to. I


Is there a video recording of people dancing to Agon? I believe there's a Balanchine choreography.


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## Guest (Oct 28, 2018)

Mandryka said:


> Is there a video recording of people dancing to Agon? I believe there's a Balanchine choreography.


I believe I may have seen one on youtube....


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Good find!

,knacks s


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

SONNET CLV said:


> ..._Le Sacre Du Printemps_... This music absolutely fascinates me.


Many years ago, I had a vinyl copy of _Le Sacre du Printemps_. I bought it around 1972. It was conducted by Stravinsky himself. IIRC it was on Columbia. It is easily one of my favorite 20th-century works. But what was fascinating about that album was that, in the liner notes which Stravinsky wrote, he described the scene at the work's infamous premiere. He was dumbfounded and utterly perplexed by the raucous reaction of the crowd; he noted that he could not understand how people could react so negatively to what he felt was his finest work. It was a really poignant passage. I got rid of the album (and most of my vinyl) years ago when I began buying CDs, but those liner notes have stuck with me to this day. I've searched the internet for a copy of them, but so far without success.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Bluecrab said:


> I've searched the internet for a copy of them, but so far without success.


Your wish is my command. I just scanned my LP notes. Here it is (in two parts, left side then right side with overlap)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nlffi560bc3sxx8/Le Sacre notes -1.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rjwkls2am9qikv/Le sacre notes-2.jpg?dl=0


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

Vasks said:


> Your wish is my command..


Vasks, many thanks for this. Those are definitely the liner notes that I was thinking of. I haven't forgotten them after nearly 50 years. Saved both of those files to my hard drive for posterity. If we were near each other, I'd definitely invite you out for a beer. Thanks again, sir. :cheers:


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

_mmmm...beer....mmmm_


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Glad you are exploring 20th C music Capt'n. Those you listed are very listenable and have an arresting quality. So I think you may like Malcolm Arnold (Symphony 7 is one of my faves) and Shostakovich (Quartets 8, 15, Symphony 8).

Other than Rite of Spring, my next faves by Stravinsky is probably Symphony in 3 Movements and Symphony of Psalms.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2018)

Been listening to this lately, certainly one of Stravinsky's most gripping scores:


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2018)

Let's also not forget:






I love the really tribal, primitive quality that is added to the story with Stravinsky's music. Biblical myths become pagan myths!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Paul Hindemith could be a satisfying composer to explore along with Stravinsky. The three disc orchestral set by Blomstedt, and the Kammermusik 2 disc set by Abbado are recommended.

I second the Poulenc recommendation. The 5 disc orchestral set by Charles Dutoit is a great place to start. And the chamber music is wonderful as well. But definitely listen to his exciting concerto for organ and timpani, and his piano concertos. There is an excellent chamber music disc on DG label by the Ensemble Wien-Berlin.

And any of the inexpensive Dutilleux sets are definitely worth investigating. Try his two symphonies, the violin concerto, and his piano sonata.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Stravinsky Les Noces has to be experienced. I like Milhaud and Honegger, they might fit in with your tastes.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I sometimes think that Britten's music has some similarities with Stravinsky - certainly later in his life Stravinsky is reported to have felt competitive with Britten. I've been listening to Britten's amazing Curlew River today. I've also been listening to Stravinsky's mournful masterpiece, Symphonies for Wind Instruments.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

regenmusic said:


> Stravinsky Les Noces has to be experienced. I like Milhaud and Honegger, they might fit in with your tastes.


The Honegger symphonies are some fine works. I really enjoy the Dutoit set on Apex.

The Works of Igor Stravinsky 22 CD set on Sony is a great way to explore the music. But I think it's out of print now, although still available from online vendors.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Mandryka said:


> Is there a video recording of people dancing to Agon? I believe there's a Balanchine choreography.


Balanchine commissioned the score. (He was also involved in the commissioning of Apollon Musagète and Orpheus.) I've seen Agon three times. Alas, there is no commercially released video to my knowledge, and the YouTube videos are not great quality (which is essential for ballet). There are brief excerpts in high quality video here.

As for the music, I have this. It's a pretty good cross section of Stravinsky's styles.

One other thing of note, when the ballet was first presented in 1957 the pas de deux was performed by a black man and a white woman. Pretty much unheard of at that time (at least in the U.S.).


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## Torkelburger (Jan 14, 2014)

If you want to explore Stravinsky, the pieces easiest to digest are his neo-classical pieces of which there are many. Here are three good ones that I don't think have been mentioned yet and are very good:
Symphony in C





Concerto in D for Strings





Dumbarton Oaks





If you enjoy his early period, his music was heavily influenced by Debussy and Rimsky-Korsakov (as has already been mentioned) so you may explore those composers further. His neo-classical period was highly influential to thousands of composers worldwide, and my favorite places to recommend you start would be Bohuslav Martinu (the 6 symphonies, piano concertos, double concerto, concerto for two pianos, oboe concerto, etc.) and the American composers Arthur Berger, Irving Fine, and Harold Shapero.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

I second the above concerning Martinu. I discovered his work recently and it is quite a find for me.


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## Dulova Harps On (Nov 2, 2018)

starthrower said:


> Paul Hindemith could be a satisfying composer to explore along with Stravinsky. The three disc orchestral set by Blomstedt, and the Kammermusik 2 disc set by Abbado are recommended.
> 
> I second the Poulenc recommendation. The 5 disc orchestral set by Charles Dutoit is a great place to start. And the chamber music is wonderful as well. But definitely listen to his exciting concerto for organ and timpani, and his piano concertos. There is an excellent chamber music disc on DG label by the Ensemble Wien-Berlin.
> 
> And any of the inexpensive Dutilleux sets are definitely worth investigating. Try his two symphonies, the violin concerto, and his piano sonata.


I second this advice. And i may i say this is my favourite performance of the Dutilleux sonata:clap:


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Yes, Martinu .... but also without the U: Frank Martin. Certainly I have found these to be enjoyably Stravinskian!


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