The New Grove Stravinsky

This 20th-century Russian composer, later of French and American nationality, led a varied life which was mirrored by often startling changes in his musical style over the course of his life. His early years found him in Russia, where Rimsky, Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky were great influences. His international career soon exploded with the premieres of the Firebird, Petrushka, and the Rite of Spring. The period from 1920-1939, which he spent in France, was that of the great neo-classical compositions, this stylistic inclination eventually gave way to a highly individual use of serial techniques in his last years, when he took up residence in the US. The New Grove Stravinsky maps the composer's life and works in the finest of detail, bringing this great man and his music to life.