The Firebird Suite (1919)
Igor Stravinsky
(b. June 17, 1882 near St. Petersburg; d. April 6, 1971 in New York City)
Among great composers Stravinsky was notably not a child prodigy. His interest in music started early but his parents were unimpressed and sent him off to law school. For four years beginning in 1901 he mainly ignored his law studies and instead built a relationship with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovwho taught him composition and orchestration privately.
In 1908 Sergei Diaghilev attended a concert in St. Petersburg featuring Stravinsky’s new piece, Fireworks. Diaghilev sensed a great talent and hired Stravinsky as an orchestrator for the 1909 Ballet Russe season in Paris, his first assignment being to orchestrate two of the Chopin pieces (heard earlier tonight) for the premiere of Les Sylphides.
Diaghilev had Firebird ideas already for his next season and offered a commission first to Nikolai Tcherepnin who found he could not get along with choreographer Michel Fokine. Next in line were Anatole Liadov, Alexander Glazunov, and Nikolai Sokolov who all turned him down. Finally he looked to the little known Stravinsky who jumped at the opportunity.
Although Stravinsky was skeptical of the dramatic ideas that were being pushed on him, he knew enough to buckle down and work hard anyway. He got started even before he had a contract in hand and on March 21, 1909, he delivered the final piano score so that ballet rehearsals could begin with music in plenty of time for the planned June premiere.
In a full rehearsal with orchestra, days before opening night, Diaghilev acknowledged how big a win his choice of Stravinsky was. He crowed, “Mark him well. He is a man on the eve of celebrity.”
And so it was. Stravinsky became famous overnight and stock in Diaghilev also soared. He and Stravinsky collaborated successfully until Diaghilev’s death in 1929.
Stravinsky first prepared a suite of music from Firebird in 1911. During WWI Stravinsky’s financial fortunes plummeted. Part of his recovery plan was a new version of the suite that used a normal-sized orchestra suitable for more venues. Concert Suite No. 2 from The Firebird debuted in 1919 and remains the most commonly performed version and the one Maestro Ram chose for tonight.
The 1919 score has seven named sections without numbering. The music is continuous from beginning to end, although the transitions are easy to hear.
“Introduction” is sinuous mystery, deep and dark. Near its end, ethereal string harmonics race up and down, an effect of Stravinsky’s invention.
“The Firebird and its Dance” followed quickly by “The Firebird's Variation”—a glittery show, sparks flying all around.
“The Princesses’ Khorovod,” a round dance of ancient Russian origins. It is a stately affair. The solo oboe sings a melancholy folk song.
A sharp blow underlain by bass drum and timpani signals the start of “Infernal dance of King Kashcheï.” All-in-all it’s a portrait of one bad dude.
The Firebird’s “Berceuse” (Lullaby) is a gentle, reassuring song for solo bassoon.
The three-minute “Finale” begins modestly. A solo horn melody starts immediately, the most famous tune from the whole piece. As the pages turn, forces gather and flow together until a tsunami-like surge sweeps us along to the end, breathless, speechless, with tears wrung from us in the onslaught.
(c) 2018, 2019, 2024 by Steven Hollingsworth,
Creative Commons Public Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Contact steve@trecorde.net