Jeremy ’s Reviews > Ten Masterpieces of Music > Status Update

The Requiem Canticles have never found their way onto the list of S’s greatest hits. For one thing, the work’s general tone can seem hard to penetrate, on first or second hearing, to those unaccustomed to, or simply uncomfortable, with a mainly post-tonal musical language. And then to get all the musicians and this less than 15min piece on top of that.

The Firebird had nearly brought late Russian romanticism to a close, although the style would continue to thrive for a while in the hands of Rachmaninoff and others; Petruška had gently mocked romanticism; the Rite had pulverized it.

Firebird 1910, Petrushka 1911 and Rite of Spring 1913 brought S international fame.

Stravinsky: Requiem Canticles for contralto, and Bass Soli , chorus, and orchestra 1966.
This was a commission that he charged 25K (over $200,000 in 2020 purchasing power parentheses) and got to commemorate A woman that was a major benefactor of Princeton university.

Despite his age and ill health, S felt the need to plunge into new creative projects, just as he had done over and over again for 60 years. He was determined to use whatever strength remained in his frail body to raise once again to the challenge of turning musics raw materials into compositions that would meet his terrifyingly self critical standards.

In the fall of 1964, Stravinsky, who is living in LA, received a cable gram from Nadia B, offering him $10,000 for a commission. S answered “regret infinitely” but it’s 10,000 to conduct a concert today and no less than 25,000 commission for a short piece.
He was 82 and had medical bills and his time was precious to him. Health and age.
Pretty cool.

We have recordings by Gilels, who studied P’s 8th with the composer and gave its premiere.
12/30 1944
Live performance 1967 and
studio recording 1974.
Richter also 1946 recording also learned the work under P’s tutelage.
Checkout also Richter’s 1974 live perf
Ashkenazy’s 1993 studio rec
Bronfman’s 1988 studio rec

P’s 5th symphony also one of his most frequently performed

3rd piano concerto is today his most often performed work in the genre.