Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works

by Eric Walter White

In the second edition of the definitive account of Igor Stravinsky's life and work, arranged in two separate sections, Eric Walter White revised the whole book, completing the biographical section by taking it up to Stravinsky's death in 1971. To the list of works, the author added some early pieces that have recently come to light, as well as the late compositions, including the "Requiem Canticles" and "The Owl and the Pussycat." Four more of Stravinsky's own writings appear in the Appendices, and there are several important additions to the bibliography.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

656 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Jeff Crompton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm marking this book as "read," although I'll be living with it for awhile, for reasons explained below.

White's book is well-researched and reveals a perceptive musical taste. The first section is a short (140 pages) biography of the composer. White not only highlights the important events of Stravinsky's life, but also conveys a sense of who he was and what he was like. The second part of the book, about three times longer than the biography, examines each of Stravinsky's compositions, going into more detail for the longer, more important works. White has a sure sense of what is important about each piece. He used musical notation at times to illustrate his points, but I think someone who didn't read music could still get something out of the commentary.

So I'm into one of my "projects" - I have most of Stravinsky's output on my record and CD shelves, so I'm reading the second section of the book slowly, and listening to the compositions in chronological order. It's fascinating, and I'm rediscovering pieces I had forgotten about, like the strange and beautiful Zvezdoliki, "The Star-Faced One."

[Joe Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid text with: a decent biography, a catalogue of works with some detailed historical accounts, and a simplified summation of his changes in styles. It also includes appendixes with letters and writings. Some quotes and letters are exclusively in french and this is disappointing for anyone not fluent. The author rarely goes into musical detail, but, on the whole, this is an enjoyable read.

[Alexandra Zlatior · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book the most useful book written on Stravinsky and his works. It analyses all his works chronologically following a structure (when, when was the premiere, why, the musical means etc.).