Igor Strawinsky: Symphonies of Winds

(Symphonies of Wind Instruments)
Played by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edo de Waart on February 2, 1990

Category:

Music

Tags:

• strawinsky
• stravinsky
• edo
• de
• waart
• rotterdams
• philharmonisch

[johntabacco]

Stravinsky takes us from birth to death in this piece. The last chord leaves me wondering about the inevitable.  Just too beautiful and sad for words. One of my favorite works of all time. Pure genius.

[suppohkram]

are the really high notes in the beginning played by clarinets?

wow.

never knew they can go so high.

[TheJimsnyder55]

Is that Steve Wozniak on bassoon? lol

[L0R3N23]

The last couple of high notes on the horn are G above the staff and A

[KpTeen43781]

no, we are all Bb clarinets. Rehearsed it this evening.

[ranthlee]

@suppohkram It's probably an E-flat clarinet, which is pitched a fourth higher than a B-flat.

[jamiebyrne77]

clever, beautiful piece - thanks for posting 

[jockboy69]

@johntabacco Stravinsky was the 20th century's equivalent to J.S. Bach. The gods looked kindly upon him, and he was the channel through which this music flowed. The world will never be the same, now that he walked among us. As long as the planet turns on its axis, his music will be with us, and everyone who comes after us. We are but the grateful beneficiaries.

[pompel2pilt]

The last 1 1/2 minute ("chorale") was written first, and you will hear elements of it all the way through the piece.

[chasjenn]

I understand that the form of this piece is based on a Russian funeral mass. The snippets of melodic motvs are folk tunes interwoven with the slow somber full ensemble chords. Harmonically there is much use of octatonic scales and triads which are dervived from them.

[zxzmaximuszxz]

@ilkinond the chords. the chords. the chords. consider that the piece was in memory of debussy as well.

[skg1991]

Edo de Waart is an amazing conductor. Such a lush, expansive sound-- very critical of this, he is! Best of luck with the MSO, maestro.