The effect of audience reception on Stravinsky’s compositional process

Stravinksy on the public not particularly liking his music:

Their attitude certainly cannot make me deviate from my path. I shall assuredly not sacrifice my predilections and my aspirations to the demands of those who, in their blindness, do not realize that they are simply asking me to go backwards … I could not follow them without doing violence to myself. But on the other hand, it would be a great mistake to regard me as an adherent of “Zukunftsmusik” – the music of the future … I can neither live in the past or in the future. I am in the present. I cannot know what tomorrow will bring forth. I can only know what the truth is for me today. That is what I am called upon to serve, and I serve it in all lucidity.

– Igor Stravinsky. Cited in: Nettl, Paul (1969) The Book of Musical Documents. New York: Greenwood Press, p.326.

Posted

in

by

Greg

Tags:

,

Featured Content

Oration XIV (St. Gregory the Theologian)
Title: Oration XIV Text: St. Gregory the Theologian Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score Samples:
Lord, Heal My Soul – Psalm 40 (41)
TITLE: Lord, Heal My Soul TEXT: Psalm 40 (41): 2-5, 13-14. R. v.5 COMPOSER: Greg Smith INSTRUMENTATION: SATB and piano SAMPLE:  
James Levine on Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin
Conductor James Levine on Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin: Eugene Onegin is very special, an incredibly successful piece; there is nothing quite like it. The character of Tatyana is so extraordinary. Tchaikovsky absorbed certain things from Pushkin’s original poem, and then composed his own opera, which of course angered some other great Russian artists, like Stanislavsky […]
LA no longer the center for film scoring
“…a panel of experts warn that film, TV and videogame scoring continues to leave L.A. because producers are unwilling to meet union demands. “If work continues to dry up at the current rate, they speculated, one or more of the three remaining large scoring stages (Fox, Sony, Warner Bros.) could close “within the next two […]
Inspiration exists
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” -Pablo Picasso Cited at WikiQuote
I am Beethoven
An account of Beethoven being lost in his creative world: Thayer tells us of a conversation he had with a Professor Blasius Höfel, a teacher of fine arts at Weiner Neustadt, a little town near Vienna.  one evening, Höfel was in a tavern with some of his colleagues, the Commissioner of Police being a member […]
Two hands or one
American pianist Seymour Lipkin, a student of Rudolf Serkin recalled a performance of Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata Back in the 1970s I gave a recital at Curtis at Mr. Serkin’s invitation.  I was playing the Hammerklavier in those years.  Why, in my right mind … I should never have … but I did.  There, sitting in […]
Lullaby for Ben
Title: Lullaby for Ben Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: Piano Product medium: PDF score
Advice to opera performers
In the early 18th century, the standard of Italian opera performances had become somewhat questionable. In 1720, The satirical writer Marcello offered some advice to those involved in opera performance: [The opera performer] will hurry or slow down the pace of an aria, according to the caprice of the singers, and will conceal the displeasure […]
O Lord, Our God, How Wonderful Your Name – Psalm 8
Title: O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name Text: Psalm 8:4-9. R. v.2 Composer: Greg Smith Instrumentation: SATB and piano Product medium: PDF score and part Sample: