Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer born in 1882. He wrote music that was bold, surprising, and completely different from anything people had heard before. His ballet The Rite of Spring was so wild and shocking that the audience nearly rioted at its first performance in 1913. Stravinsky changed music forever by using unusual rhythms, loud sounds, and unexpected patterns. He is one of the most important composers of the 1900s.

The Rite of Spring

When The Rite of Spring was first performed in Paris in 1913, the audience went wild. Some people booed and shouted. Others cheered. There were fights in the seats. The music was pounding and unpredictable. The dancers stomped and jumped in ways nobody had seen before. The police had to be called. But today, The Rite of Spring is considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

A Life of New Ideas

Stravinsky kept changing his style throughout his long life. He wrote the magical ballet The Firebird and the playful Petrushka. Later, he wrote music in a cleaner, simpler style. He moved from Russia to France, then to the United States. He lived to be 88 years old and kept writing music into his eighties. Stravinsky showed that music could always be new, exciting, and full of surprises.

Fun Facts

• The first performance of The Rite of Spring caused such a big fight in the audience that the police were called.
• Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird is based on a Russian fairy tale about a magical bird.
• He lived in three different countries during his life: Russia, France, and the United States.

Did You Know?

The audience at The Rite of Spring's premiere shouted so loudly that the dancers on stage could not hear the orchestra playing!