In the years following World War I, the great Russian composer Igor Stravinsky turned his attention away from writing for full symphony orchestra in favor of smaller ensembles. This was partially in response to the dwindling financial resources for music at the time, but it also coincided with a new period in Stravinsky’s compositional development. He began to compose music in the traditional forms of Classical and Baroque music, but with his own distinct 20th century melodic and harmonic language. This “neo-classical” approach would permeate Stravinsky’s music off and on for the rest of his life, and many of his best works were crafted in this scaled-down approach. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stravinsky’s death, and this concert celebrates some of his very best musical miniatures for both wind and string ensembles.

Program and Notes

Watch