FROM BEGINNING TO END: PREPARATIONS NEEDED TO

PERFORM STRAVINSKY'S OCTET

A PROJECT REPORT

Presented to the

Bob Cole Conservatory of Music

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Music

Committee Members:

Roger Hickman, Ph.D. (Chair) Robert Frear, M.M.

Carolyn Bremer, Ph.D.

College Designee:

John A. Carnahan, M.A.

By Candace Bartel

B.M., 1999, Western Michigan University

May 2009

UMI Number: 1472308

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ABSTRACT

FROM BEGINNING TO END: PREPARATIONS NEEDED TO

PERFORM STRAVINSKY'S OCTET

By

Candace Bartel

May 2009

Igor Stravinsky's Octet for Wind Instruments is a significant work in the

composer's career. To create a successful performance of the Octet from the beginning

(studying and rehearsing) to the end (performance), one needs to examine three topics for

an understanding and performance of the piece: instrumentation, analysis, and criticism.

First, the background and its unique instrumentation will be discussed. Second,

the analysis of the work and its style will focus on its form, unifying characteristics of the

movements, and neo-classical elements. Last, the investigation of the criticism regarding

the Octet will illuminate what makes it a particularly significant work and will examine

issues with the neo-classical label.

In conclusion, a study of the instrumentation, analysis, and criticism is required in

order to prepare an informed performance of the Octet. These elements will all be

discussed and related to the process of preparing the work from "beginning to end."

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES iv

LIST OF FIGURES v

CHAPTER

1. AN INTRODUCTION TO IGOR STRAVINSKY 1

First Style Period 3 Transition to Neoclassicism 6

2. THE OCTET FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS-BACKGROUND AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICE 8

Instrumentation 12

Performance Considerations 13

3. ANALYSIS OF THE OCTET FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS 16

MovementI: Sinfonia 16 Movement II: Tema con Variazioni 18 Movement III: Finale 20

4. CRITICISM REGARDING THE OCTET FOR

WIND INSTRUMENTS 23

5. CONCLUSION 28

APPENDIX: MASTERS RECITAL PROGRAM 31

BIBLIOGRAPHY 39

i i i

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE Page

1. Stravinsky's Modified Sonata Form 17

2. Form of Octet for Wind Instruments, Movementll 19

3. Form of Octet/or Wind Instruments, Movement III 20

iv

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE Page

1. Octet for Wind Instruments, Movement II (Theme) 18

v

CHAPTER 1

AN INTRODUCTION TO IGOR STRAVINSKY

Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky was born June 17,1882, in Oranienbaum (near St.

Petersburg, Russia). He had two older brothers, Roman (1874) and Yury (1879), and one

younger brother, Gury (1884). He became closest with Gury, as his other brothers tended

to annoy him. His father, Feodor Ignatievich, was a famous bass-baritone singer at the

Imperial Opera House. By the time Igor was born, Feodor was considered one of the

greatest singers of his generation. He performed in such operas as The Barber of Seville,

William Tell, Les Huguenots, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Rigoletto, Mesfistofele,

Faust, A Life for the Tsar, Russian and Ludmilla, Judith, Prince Igor, and Boris

Godunov. His father knew many famous musicians who would come to visit, including

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Igor, his son, would not meet him until years later,)

Alexander Borodin, and Modest Mussorgsky. He married Anna (nee Kholodovsky) in

1874. Igor Stravinsky's childhood was not the happiest of times; his father was known

for his "uncontrollable temper."1

Stravinsky was exposed to music from an early age through his father, going to

performances of ballet and Wagner operas2 and spending time with his friends. Although

1 Eric Walter White, Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979), 19.

2 Stephen Walsh, The New Grove Stravinsky (London: MacMIUan, 2002), 2.

1

he received piano lessons from childhood, this was not his main focus. His plan was to

study law at St. Petersburg University, since this was considered, along with medicine, to

be a reasonable course of study. Ultimately he would finish his law studies, but this was

only because he wanted to finish what he started. He had another passion, which was to

be a composer, and it was because of Rimsky-Korsakov that he got his start. In the

summer of 1902, his family was vacationing in the same area as the Rimsky-Korsakov

family (the Stravinsky family were in Bad Wildungen, and the Rimsky-Korsakov family

were nearby in Heidelberg.) Igor Stravinsky was introduced by Vladimir Rimsky-

Korsakov, son of Nicolai, who was a student with Stravinsky at St. Petersburg

University. Vladimir was aware of Igor's talent for composition, and he encouraged him

to meet with Nicolai. Igor then showed Vladimir's father, Nicolai some short piano

pieces and a transcription of a string quartet by Glazunov for piano. This is his account

of how the meeting went with Rimsky-Korsakov:

Rimsky told me before anything else I must continue my studies in harmony and counterpoint with [Kalafati] in order to acquire complete mastery in the schooling of craftsmanship, but at the same time he strongly advised me not to enter the Conservatoire. He considered that the atmosphere of that institution, in which he was himself a professor, was not suited for me, for I should be overwhelmed with work, as I had as well to go on with my University course. Moreover, as I was twenty he feared that I might find myself backward in comparison with my contemporaries, and that might discourage me. He further considered it necessary that my work should be systematically supervised, and that that could only be achieved by private lessons. He finished by adding that I could always to go him for advice, and that he was quite willing to take me in hand when I had acquired the necessary foundation.3

This was significant, because Rimsky-Korsakov did not just say this to anyone; he

3 Stephen Walsh, A Creative Spring: Russia and France, 1882-1934 (New York: A.A.Knoph, 1999), 63.

2

had many prospective composers coining to him, and he would often advise them to stay

with their current vocation, rather than pursuing composition.

Stravinsky would be given assignments, in addition to his regular lessons with

Kalafati, to submit to Rimsky-Korsakov. His first tasks were to orchestrate and compose

sonatas and cantatas. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote notes on Stravinsky's early pieces,

claiming they were "not bad."4 His first large assignment was to compose a symphony in

the vein of Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. His first draft was completed in September 1905,

and it premiered in 1907.

At this time, he not only was taking lessons full time from Rimsky-Korsakov, but

he also had pieces performed at Rimsky Korsakov 's Wednesdays, which were weekly

musical soirees. This was the first time that Stravinsky would have his music performed

regularly. This became a significant event for the composer in his musical development.

Stravinsky would study with Rimsky-Korsakov until his mentor's death in 1908.

First Style Period

It only makes sense that the first style period employed by Stravinsky was

Russian Traditional, because bis earliest models were Tchaikovsky and Glazunov. Also,

he was under the strict tutelage of his teacher, who was fiercely committed to preserving

Russian traditional music. It is easy to confuse his early compositions for the music of

these three people—Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, and Rimsky-Korsakov. After Rimsky-

Korsakov died, however, Stravinsky did keep with this traditional style of music for a

few years. His Symphony in E-flat was his first major work written in this style, and only

four short years later, he produced The Firebird.

4 This was a compliment, considering how critical Rimsky-Korsakov was. 3

He also found, one year after the death of Rimsky-Korsakov, a new mentor (so to

speak.) Sergei Diaghilev attended a concert of Stravinsky's in 1909 that included his

Fireworks and Scherzo Fantastique. The concert was considered a critical failure, but

not to Diaghilev, who saw only potential. First, he asked Stravinsky to supply two

orchestrations for Les Sylphides, a new ballet by Mikhail Fokine that would be performed

as a part of the 1909 ballet season.5 Though it was not received well by press (it lacked

"comparable musical novelty,"6 Diaghilev immediately asked Stravinsky to provide the

music for his newest commission, The Firebird, to be performed as part of Ballet

Russes's 1910 seasoa

Diaghilev's choice of Stravinsky as composer came as a surprise to the general

public, for he was considered an obscure composer. However, The Firebird, a ballet

based on a famous Russian legend, made Stravinsky an overnight success. This

composition marked a few significant musical milestones; First, it was considered

Stravinsky's first mature composition. Second, it was the first composition that stretched

Stravinsky's conventional boundaries. There were several Russian traditional elements

contained within, but he used many techniques not utilized before, such as harsh

syncopated rhythms as well as the way he wrote string glissandos. These techniques had

not been used before to so vividly illustrate the characters in the ballet. Stravinsky added

5 Originally titled Chopiniana.

6 Stephen Walsh, The New Grove Stravinsky (London: MacMillan, 2002), 9.

4

to his orchestral palette by using natural-harmonic string glissandos in the introduction of

The Firebird as an instrumental effect to capture its main character.7

His second ballet, Petrushka (1910), was based on another aspect of Russian

traditional life. With the Firebird came the story of a Russian legend; with Petrushka, a

ballet based on a folktale of a puppet show at the Shrovetide fair in St. Petersburg.

His third ballet, The Rite of Spring (1911), was based on a third aspect of Russian

life: scenes of Pagan Russia. This ballet came as a shock to its audience, and the sharp

rhythms and irregular metric patterns paired with choreography by Nijinsky caused an

actual riot at the premiere. Stravinsky was still in his Russian style period, but he was

definitely pushing the envelope. He was going in a direction that no composer had gone

before.

Stravinsky wrote many important works during this period, but the last

composition of note is The Soldier's Tale (1918), which can be seen as a transitional

work into his second period. His music continued to evolve, this time he added dancers

and a narrator in a small instrumental chamber piece. He wrote this piece with finances

in mind; he wanted a small troupe of musicians that he could take on tour, manage

inexpensively, and not need to utilize large theatre or stage. This way, any place, even

outdoors, could be transformed into the performance space.8 He based The Soldier's Tale

on a collection of stories by the folklorist Alexander Afansiev. Although its roots were

unmistakably Russian, this was a "crossover" work. Stravinsky said of this: "a new path

7 Neil Wenborn, Stravinsky (London: Omnibus Press, 1999), 45.

8 The first performance was a success, but subsequent performances were cancelled due to the influenza epidemic that was spreading throughout Europe.

5

had been indicated," that "neoclassicism of a sort had been born," and "the suggestion

that was to lead to Pulcinella."9

Transition to Neoclassicism

The new path continued in 1920. Diaghilev wanted him to listen to "some

eighteenth-century music with the idea of orchestrating it for a ballet."10 This music that

he was speaking of was by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736). Stravinsky was not

interested at first, mainly because what he had heard or seen of Pergolesi did not interest

him. Diaghilev reassured him by telling him that he had music to present that Stravinsky

had never seen. As soon as he saw the manuscripts, he was hooked. Ironically, he felt

music from this century gave him a new direction. Stravinsky regarded this music as an

opportunity to create a new style, a "new classicism." This would lead him to

neoclassicism. He was aware, however, that this new way of composing would not be

completely fresh:

My instinct is to recompose, and not only students' works, but old masters' as well. When composers show me their music for criticism, all I can say is that I would have written it quite differently. Whatever interests me, whatever I love, I wish to make it my own [I am probably describing a rare form of kleptomania.]11

Stravinsky fell in love. He was tired of writing Russian music and wanted to

make a departure from what he had been composing. In composing in this new style, he

9 Pieter C. van den Toorn, The Music of Igor Stravinsky (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983,1983) 199.

10 Ibid., 252.

11 Ibid.

6

was aware that he would draw criticism, some saying that he would be "chided for

composing 'simple' music, blamed for deserting 'modernism,' accused of renouncing my

'true Russian heritage.'"12 He did not care about what others thought, however, because

he did want to turn back. He was preoccupied with "his newly found, uniquely fashioned

forms of accommodation with Baroque music over the traditional Russian music he had

previously been accustomed to.

The first work written in this style is the one that Diaghilev had asked him to

orchestrate, the ballet Pulcinella, and after falling in love with this music, he gladly

agreed to take Diaghilev's commission. He took music mainly from Pergolesi's trio

sonatas and three operas: Adriano in Siria and Lo Frate 'nnamorato of 1734, and H

Flaminio of 1735.13 In his orchestration of Pulcinella, he did minimal work to revise

what Pergolesi had done, mainly working on breaking up melodic lines through either

repetition or extension of its length as well as rhythmic distortion.14 This was his

introduction to neoclassicism, so his grasp of this style would become sophisticated a few

years later, with his completion of the Octet for Wind Instruments of 1923.

13 Eric Walter White, 283.

14 James J. Wood, Jr., "A Historical and Analytical Examination of the Stravinsky Octet for Wind Instruments, with a Guide to Performance Preparation of the Two Trumpet Parts", (D.M.A. Dissertation, University of North Texas, 2007), 6.

7

CHAPTER 2

THE OCTET FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS-BACKGROUND AND PERFORMANCE

PRACTICE

By the time Igor Stravinsky had composed his Octet he was completely involved

in neoclassicism. A journey that started with Pulcinella ended with his Octet, considered

by many to be his first fully involved neoclassical work.15 After Mavra, the one act opera

buffa he composed in 1922, he wanted to write an instrumental work. First he considered

a piano concerto, but he lost interest in the idea, and instead turned to a chamber music

piece for winds.

Stravinsky began composing his Octet late in 1922 in Biarritz, France, and it was

completed in Paris on May 26,1923. Stravinsky conducted the premiere himself on

October 18,1923 at a concert produced by Serge Koussevitsky at the Paris Opera House.

He was determined to conduct the premiere after what happened at the London premiere

of his Symphonies of Wind Instruments. In that performance, Koussevitsky conducted,

and Stravinsky considered the performance to be such a disaster that he only agreed to

allow Koussevitsky to put the Octet on one of his concerts on the condition that "he

[Stravinsky] and not Koussevitsky conduct it."16 The primary problem with the

15 This is arguably true; some say neoclassicism began with Pulcinella, others with Mavra, but most critics say that his career as a legitimate neoclassical composer was with his Octet.

16 Eric Walter White, 82.

8

Symphonies premiere was programming. The Symphonies were scheduled at the end of a

concert full of large romantic works by Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov, and

Scriabin. Stravinsky's piece was not even mentioned in the concert program. After all of

these large pieces were performed, three quarters of the ensemble left, leaving twenty

instrumentalists left to play on the enormous Queen's Hall stage. They sat in their places

in the back of the stage, and Koussevitsky conducted from the front of the stage.17

When Stravinsky began to work on his Octet, he had to momentarily stop to finish

his instrumentation of Les Noces. This was because Diaghilev decided to include the

ballet in the Russian Ballet's 1923 season. He had been struggling with instrumentation

of Les Noces back from 1914-1917. When he interrupted the Octet at this time, he

realized that "the sung element in Les Noces would be best supported by an ensemble

consisting exclusively of percussion instruments [including four pianos]."18 He finally

finished Les Noces in Monaco on April 6,1923, making way to finish the Octet which he

did a month and a half later. The Octet was published by Edition Russe de Musique in

1924. The score bears no dedication, but it was secretly dedicated to Vera de Bosset, a

woman with whom Stravinsky was having an affair. Vera had left her husband by the

time he had completed the composition, and this was also the time that Stravinsky told

his wife Katya about the affair. Stravinsky stayed married to Katya while continuing his

relationship with Vera. Vera also attended the Octet premiere, and eventually became his

second wife.

17 Audiences at the time seemed to enjoy large-scale marches as opposed to small chamber works.

9

The premiere had mixed reviews. Again, Stravinsky was premiering a small

chamber instrumental piece on a large stage—the Paris Opera House. Stravinsky

regularly encountered stage fright, and the fact that he was not only conducting at the

Paris Opera, but also that this was the first time he was conducting a premiere of one of

his own works, made it a tough night for him. One critic was Prokofiev, who had a few

opinions on the direction that Stravinsky was headed, including: "Stravinsky has written

a dreadful sonata... the music is Bach but with pockmarks"19 "Here and there

contemporary syncopated dance rhythms appear, which considerably freshens the

scratched up Bach. Don't misunderstand me: I love old Sebastian, but I don't like faking

him."20 He continued more extensively:

As to style and fashion, Stravinsky has been displaying a certain steadfastness of late: the Bachiness of this style could already be sensed in the octet, and now after the concerto a sonata has followed, once again in the same style. Stravinsky himself declares that he is creating a new epoch with this, and that this is the only way to write nowadays. For me personally The Rite and Svadebka are worth more.21

He did, however, have some fans. Jean Cocteau remarked that he saw "the back

of an astronomer [engaged in] solving this magnificent instrumental arithmetic with its

figures of silver," while Darius Milhaud felt "the audience smiled, as they often do with

wind instruments, but they applauded warmly at the end." One more admirer, music

critic Boris de Schloezer that the Octet "bears witness once again to the extraordinary

capacity for renewal of this powerful and lucid nature, [and] what, in Mavra, seemed to

19 Stephen Walsh, The Music of Stravinsky, 128.

20 Ibid.

21 Richard Taruskin, Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996), 1607.

10

us no more than an experiment, an attempt, is in the Octet brought off fully and

decisively."22 This was also the beginning of Stravinsky as a composer/performer, and

for the next thirty-six years, he would either conduct or perform his own premieres.

In the fall of 1923, soon after the premiere, Stravinsky wrote an article that

appeared in English in a monthly publication The Arts out of Brooklyn, New York, titled

"Some Ideas About My Octour." It was published in January the following year. This

was a strange article for the subscribers to read, considering no one who read The Arts

had yet to hear his Octet. In this article, he repeatedly compared the Octet to an "object,"

making such points as: "My Octour is a musical object," "My Octour is not an 'emotive'

work but a musical composition based on objective elements which are sufficient in

themselves," and making an extreme point:

My Octour, as I said before, is an object that has its own form. Like all other objects it has weight and occupies a place in space, and like all other objects it will necessarily lose part of its weight and space in time and through time. The loss will be in quantity, but it cannot lose in quality as long as its emotive basis has objective properties and as long as this object keeps its 'specific weight'. One cannot alter the specific weight of an object without destroying the object itself.24

Stravinsky definitely stressed the point that his music should not have any

emotion attached to it and that his music should be performed precisely as it is written,

with no interpretation. He continues: "To interpret a piece is to realize its portrait, and

22 Stephen Walsh, A Creative Spring, 373.

23 Paul Griffiths, The Master Musicians: Stravinsky (New York: Schirmer Books, 1992), 78.

24 A reprint of his article Some Ideas About My Octour that is included in Eric Walter White's Stravinsky: The Composer and his Works, Appendix A, 574-5.

11

what I demand is the realization of the piece itself and not of its portrait." This is the

key to performing the piece as Stravinsky intended—playing what is on the page and

nothing else; if it is marked forte, that is the only option. Stravinsky never indicated what

how loud or soft forte is, which makes it difficult to decipher, but the group must make

an objective decision. The tempo marking is not subject to emotive interpretation. When

you perform the piece, it is an objective process, and it is important to maintain the

integrity of Stravinsky's markings.

Instrumentation

The instrumentation has been (arguably) the most widely discussed topic when it

comes to the Octet. It was written for four pairs of winds: flute and clarinet (serving as a

pair), two bassoons, two trumpets (one in C and the other in A), and two trombones (one

tenor and one bass). There are multiple versions of how Stravinsky came up with this

instrumentation. First, he claimed that the instrumentation came to him in a dream:

The Octour began with a dream, in which I saw myself in a small room surrounded by a small group of instrumentalists playing some attractive music. I did not recognize the music, though I strained to hear it, and I could not recall any feature of it the next day, but I do remember my curiosity—in the dream—to know how many the musicians were. I remember, too, that they were playing bassoons, trombones, trumpets, a flute, and a clarinet. I awoke from this little concert in a state of great delight and anticipation and the next morning began to compose the Octour, which I had had no thought of the day before, though for some time I had wanted to write an ensemble piece- not incidental music like the Histoire du Soldat, but an instrumental sonata.

The second account of the origin of the instrumentation was contradictory to the first, in

which he said:

Ibid., 575. Eric Walter White, 309.

12

I began to write this music without knowing what its sound medium would be—that is to say, what instrumental form it would take. I only decided that point after finishing the first part, when I saw clearly what ensemble was demanded by the contrapuntal material, the character and structure of what I had composed.27

Finally, the third origin of Stravinsky's reasoning for choosing this instrumentation:

The reasons why I composed this kind of music for an octour of flute, clarinet, bassoons, trumpets and trombones are the following: First, because this ensemble forms a complete sonorous scale and consequently furnishes me with a sufficiently rich register; second, because the difference of the volume of these instruments renders more evident the musical architecture. And this is the most important question in all my recent musical compositions.28

It is not clear which one of those statements was Stravinsky's actual reason, but

he was known for showing a preference for winds over strings. Stravinsky made it clear

that he showed this preference, writing in his Octour article: "Wind instruments seem to

me to be more apt to render a certain rigidity of the form I had I mind than other

instruments—the string instruments, for example, which are less cold and more vague."29

His interest in wind instruments also grew after completing his Symphonies of Wind

Instruments, using strings sporadically in Mavra and showing no interest in using them

for his Octet

Performance Considerations

Stravinsky gave each pair of instruments a specific role. The majority of the

melodic material lies in the trumpets. However, it is hard to tell due to the fact that at

27 Igor Stravinsky, An Autobiography (New York; London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1936), 103.

28 From Some Ideas About My Octour as reprinted in Eric Walter White, 575.

29 He also claimed that string instruments would work better in music that was intended to be emotive.

13

times, their melody is overshadowed by his orchestration and everything that is going on

with the other instruments. Although this happens throughout the piece, the ensemble

should be aware that the trumpets primarily have the melody. The ensemble should also

be aware that, while the melody appears in all instruments at some point of the piece, the

lead role usually falls with the trumpets.

The bassoons act primarily as accompanying instruments. Stravinsky uses

counterpoint heavily in the bassoons (this will be discussed in the next chapter).

Stravinsky also enjoys exploring the bassoon's range, particularly its high register, and

the bassoon players should be prepared for this when they practice their parts.

The flute and clarinet have different roles. The flute either handles the "more

active melodic lines in transitional passages or contrapuntal material to main themes."30

It rarely accompanies the other instruments. The clarinet usually accompanies or

supports its partner, the flute. It also appears as accompanying the other woodwinds

(bassoons), but it primarily stays with its partner.

The trombones are the most independent and separate pair. The tenor trombone

divides its time between thematic and accompanying material, but the bass trombone is a

constant accompanying instrument, often serving as a reinforcing instrument—the bass

role of the group. The bass trombone does not often stay with its partner (as in the flute

and clarinet pair), but as accompaniment to the other instruments.

Stravinsky wrote his Octet with some particular instructions in mind. These

instructions, or considerations when performing, are important to follow in order to meet

30 Lubaroff, 43. 14

his expectations, since Stravinsky was a composer that did not have a liking for personal

interpretation. He expected the performer to "follow strictly the musical text."31

First, when performing his music, Stravinsky indicated that "in order that this

music should reach the ear of the public it was necessary to emphasize the entries of

several instruments, to introduce breathing spaces between the phrases (rests), to pay

particular care to the intonation, the instrumental prosody, the accentuation- in short, to

establish order and discipline in the purely sonorous scheme to which I always give

precedence over elements of an emotional character."

Second, in regards to dynamics, he wrote: "I have excluded all nuances, which I

have replaced by the play of these volumes. I have excluded all nuances between the

forte and the piano; I have left only the forte and piano. Therefore the forte and the

piano are in my work only the dynamic limit which determines the function of the

volumes in play."33 This was an interesting instruction from Stravinsky, because when

looking at score, he uses a wide range of dynamics. Nonetheless, it is helpful to know

Stravinsky's original intentions. While it is important to be able to play music with your

own musical style, it is advantageous to understand where he was coming from in order

to create in informed performance of his Octet

31 Ibid.

32 Igor Stravinsky, An Autobiography, 109.

33 Some Ideas About My Odour, reprinted by Eric Walter White, 575.

15

CHAPTER 3

ANALYSIS

Igor Stravinsky, in staying with his newfound neoclassicism, used the following

classical forms in his Octet: sonata form, theme and variations (with a fugue), and a

rondo. He decided to compose this piece with the notion of choosing "cool and heady at

the expense of warm and passionate."1 For Stravinsky, the dominance of harmony over

emotion was the fundamental difference between classical and romantic music. He made

several comments on form: "Classical music—true classical music—claimed form as its

basic substance." He expanded on his thoughts:

I turn to form because I do not conceive or feel the true emotive force except under coordinated musical sensation. This sort of music has no other aim than to be sufficient in itself. In general, I consider that music is only able to solve musical problems, and neither the literary nor the picturesque can be in music of real interest. The play of musical elements is the thing.3

Movement I: Sinfonia

The first movement of the Octet is Stravinsky's "rediscovery" of sonata form. To

understand how Stravinsky alters the form, it is important to see how he modified sonata

Joan Peyser, Twentieth-Century Music: The Sense Behind the Sound (New York: Schirmer Books, 1970), 117.

2 Eric Walter White, Stravinsky: A Critical Survey, J882-1946 (New York: Dover Publications, 1997), 91.

3 Stravinsky in his Some Ideas About My Octour as reprinted by Eric Walter White., Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, 576-7.

16

form to construct this movement. Stravinsky does not follow the traditional rules of the

tonic-dominant relationship, which one can see from the following table:

TABLE 1. Stravinsky's Modified Sonata Form

Introduction

Eb

Exposition Development

First Subject Tonally (Eb) (m.42) unstable

(m. 95)

Transition

Second Subject (Db) (m.82)

Recapitulation

Second Subject (E) (m. 128)

Transition

First Subject (Eb) (m. 152)

Coda

In the tonic (Eb) (m.167)

The introduction begins in the tonic, E-flat major, and it ends with a dominant B-

flat-seventh chord resolving to a dominant E-flat chord at the Allegro Moderato.

Stravinsky made an awkward transition here—it is abrupt, and this shift appears to cancel

all of the harmonic preparation to get us to the right key, E-flat. It is very amusing, in a

dry and jarring way.

At the first subject of the exposition {Allegro Moderato), the piece takes on a

march-like character. The first subject lasts until measure eighty-two, where Stravinsky

begins to bend the rules. In his second subject, he does not go to the dominant, but

instead down a second to D-flat. With this, he continues with the exposition, but the

17

tonality seems to be adjusted to fit his compositional ideas. The second subject is shorter,

only lasting thirteen measures. Stravinsky does not make any unusual structural

decisions until the recapitulation. At first glance, the recapitulation appears to begin in

measure 152, where the theme comes back, but this is not the case. Stravinsky employs,

in this movement, a reverse recapitulation, with the second theme appearing first. This

occurs at measure 128. He utilizes one more unusual relationship between the themes.

The recapitulation does not stay in the tonic, but instead employs a half-step relationship,

going from E (in the second theme of the recapitulation at measure 128) to Eb (in the first

theme of the recapitulation at measure 152.) The last nine measures serve as the coda.

Movement II: Tema con Variazioni

In this movement, as evidenced by the title, Stravinsky takes another form

common in the eighteenth century, Theme and Variations. The theme is based on an

octatonic scale. The first eight measures of the theme, played by the flute and clarinet

begins in D minor and shifts to D major, whereas the remaining six measures of the

theme, played first by the second trumpet and completed by the tenor trombone,

modulates from C major to D major. Below is the theme:

FIGURE 1. Octet for Wind Instruments, Movement II (Theme).

37 Ibid., 310. 18

TABLE 2. Form of Octet for Wind Instruments, Movement II

Theme

m.l

Andantino

A

m. 15

Ribbons of scales

B

m. 27

March

A

m. 57

Ribbons of scales

C

m.68

Waltz

D

m. 123

Tempo giusto

A E

m. 209 m. 220

Ribbons Fugue of scales

Variation A appears three times in this movement, and it is used as the unifying

thread to tie the variations together. This variation begins his "ribbons of scales," with all

instruments (except the trombones) playing the notes of the theme ascending and

descending one octave at a time. The phrase "ribbons of scales" is Stravinsky's own

description. He never gives a definition of his "ribbons of scales" but is seems to be his

way of describing the flourishes of ascending and descending scales that he uses

throughout the ensemble. Another view is that the "ribbons of scales" sound similar to

the Mannheim rocket themes that was a technique used by classical composers in the

eighteenth century. Stravinsky uses the "ribbons of scales" variations to precede the

variation immediately after (See table 2). He uses these A variations to tie the whole

theme and variations together.

The other variations in this movement project divergent moods. These are not

your typical variations. Each variation is so different from the one previous, that it does

not feel like they are developing as an extension of the theme, but rather each variation

19

sounds like a different piece completely. Variation B is in the style of a march, with the

melody being passed from the second trumpet to the flute and back to the second trumpet.

Variation C, written as a waltz, was the inspiration for the theme of this movement.

Variation D begins with an introduction for eight measures, then with two trumpets in

unison (in octaves). Finally, variation, E, was Stravinsky's favorite part of the entire

Octet. He wrote this variation as a fugue and presents the theme "in rotation by the

instrumental pairs—flute-clarinet, bassoons, trumpets, trombones—which is the idea of

instrumental combination at the root of the Octour.,,n It is highly chromatic, essentially

leading to the key of C in the last movement. There is no break between this movement

and the last, written as attacca. The last movement was written as extension of this last

"fugue" variation.

Movement III: Finale

The Finale is a five-part rondo with a coda. Below is the form of the movement

shown with the respective prominent melodic instruments, to show how Stravinsky

passes the melody throughout the ensemble:

van den Toorn, 333. 20

TABLE 3. Form of Octet for Wind Instruments, Movement III.

Section

A section

B section

A section

C section

Measure Numbers

1

38

60

92

Main Keys

C C/A

A/C/F Chromatic C

C Ab

Ab

(1) (30)

(38) (45) (56)

(60) (80)

(92)

Prominent melodic Instruments

Bassoons (in two point counterpoint)

Trumpet (40-45) Bassoon 1 (44-49) Trumpet 2 (49)

Bassoons

Flute

A section 128 Chromatic (128) Trombone, melody augmented in quarter notes (128) Trumpet 2 (135)

C (148) Trumpet 1 (147)

Coda 160 C Tutti

This movement is the most traditional and straightforward of the three. He does

not alter the structure from a traditional rondo. This may be for a variety of reasons, but

the idea that comes to mind most strongly is that he wanted to show that he could write

one of the movements in the most purely classical way, with no alterations, and by this,

he wanted to show a balance compared to the other movements. He may have wanted to

21

show multiple sides to his compositional talents, showing both that he can see how far he

could alter a form as well as showing how conservative he could be.

Knowing the analysis of the Octet is helpful in performing the piece in different

ways. In the first movement, Stravinsky's use of a reverse recapitulation allows the

performers to know when they truly "arrive" near the end of the movement. It would be

difficult to know where the recapitulation begins, at first glance, without a proper

analysis. In the second movement, analyzing Stravinsky's use of theme and variations,

particularly how Stravinsky writes each variation, is helpful. His multiple repeat of the A

variation should feel like an arrival point, and the unique form of each variation, and

knowing the form of each variation helps in the feel (i.e., waltz, fugue) of how to perform

it. In the third movement, knowing that it is an extension of the last variation of the

second movement, gives it a seamless feeling. Additionally, the way Stravinsky passes

the melody throughout the instruments is valuable to know in regards to the melody. As

stated previously, the last movement is the most traditional of the three, so the main

aspect to focus on is the use of the melody.

22

CHAPTER 4

CRITICISM REGARDING THE OCTET

Stravinsky was revered by many as one of the greatest composers of his time, but

he also had a lot of criticism as a neoclassical composer. Lawrence Gilman, a music

critic who was at the Octet premiere, spoke of his doubt of Stravinsky's ability to write in

this style:

A dreary little piece, imaginatively sterile, feeble in invention and of a peculiar, oppressive dullness even in its "tempo giusto" Finale. Its counterpoint is not so much reckless as unresourceful; and the whole work has an astoundingly infantile character, a vacuous naivete which is not unlikely to cause you to rush to your shelf of scores when you get home in order to assure yourself that the name of the composer of the Octour is the name that appears on the title page of the Sacre du Printemps. It seems incredible.3

Arthur Browne compared Stravinsky and Hindemith and suggested which would last as a

great composer:

Yet the curious fact remains that his notes are regarded as a series of experiments, whereas Hindemith has combined more successfully, and with less apparent effort and discrepancy, the time "in" and the time "for" the composition. Unlike Stravinsky, Hindemith has not had to coerce or blandish a public into following his lead. His music contains elements which are popular, and also contemporary in the sense of style, technic, and expression. A large following in Germany has found Hindemith's style so acceptable that it has appointed him leader of German music, and

39 Stephen Walsh, Stravinsky: A Creative Spring, 402.

23

it does not hesitate on occasion to tell the composer what it expects him to do. No public has ever dictated to Stravinsky.

Yet another critic, Boris Asafiev, did not believe Stravinsky as a neoclassical composer:

Stravinsky's new "new instrumental style" of the 1920's was not deliberate stylization, or "Bachism" and Asafiev avoids the term "neo­classical." Yet he felt that Stravinsky had not solved the problem of a new style and had merely created "an artificial language, a musical 'Esperanto,' so to speak . . . "41

Richard Taruskin noted that Stravinsky was simply expressing this faux language, and

that the Octet was "the renunciation of national character in favor of a musical Esperanto

with a lexicon heavily laced with self-conscious allusions to Bach, the perceived

fountainhead of 'universal' musical values."42 There were people who had the idea that

Stravinsky's "return to Bach" would not last long. Others thought that Stravinsky's

attempt at neoclassicism was superficial. Richard Taruskin noted: "in point of fact the

music of the Odour, however it may have struck its earliest listeners, is only superficially

and sporadically 'Bachian.'" He goes on to comment that "what seemed to its earliest

listeners 'a mess of eighteenth-century mannerisms' amounted to little more than a few

ostentatious trills in the opening Sinfonia and a walking bass at the outset of the Finale,

40 Arthur G. Browne, "Paul Hindemith and the Neo-Classic Music" (Music & Letters 13, no. 1), 42-3.

41 Paul Henry Lang, ed., Stravinsky: A New Appraisal of His Work (New York: W.W. Norton Co., 1963), 77.

42 Richard Taruskin, Stravinsky and the Russian Traditions: a Biography of the Works through Mavra, 2 volumes, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996), 1607.

24

accompanying a self-conscious near-quotation from the Well-Tempered Clavier's first C-

minor fugue."43

The Octet stirred up many feelings. There were some famous musicians who

were confused as to what he was doing. Aaron Copland said: "the Octour produced for

many a 'general feeling of mystification.. .like a bad joke that left an unpleasant after­

effect.'"44 In 1925, Prokofiev had this to add:

As to style and fashion, Stravinsky has been displaying a certain steadfastness of late: the Bachiness of this style could already be sensed in the octet, and now after the concerto a sonata has followed, once again in the same style. Stravinsky himself declares that he is creating a new epoch with this, and that this is the only way to write nowadays. For me personally The Rite and Svadebka are worth more.45

Milton Babbit had a more general criticism of Stravinsky and his choice of composing

neoclassical works. In his 1971 memoirs, he claimed "neoclassicism was a meaningless

slogan, an advertising gimmick in the marketing of modern music."46 Others agreed with

Babbitt in believing that neoclassicism to Stravinsky was an advertising gimmick, and

believed that he had disregard for the term neoclassicism, only using it when he

necessary. Stravinsky tended to display a low level of patience for the term in the 1920's,

43 Ibid., 1600.

"Taruskin, 1607.

45 Ibid.

46 Lubaroff, 35.

25

right when he was in the middle of his success with neoclassicism. In 1925, he even, on

occasion, began to shun the term neoclassicism.47

Stravinsky had other problems with neoclassicism. He had more than a few

critical remarks over the years. First, in an interview in Brussels in 1930, he commented

that he could never stand the use of the term neoclassicism, which to him was a "much

abused expression meaning absolutely nothing."48 Second, in an article he wrote three

years earlier in The Dominant, he had issues with calling his works neoclassical. In an

article titled "A Warning":

There is much talk nowadays of a reversion to classicism, and works believed to have been composed under the influence of so-called classical models are labeled neo-classic. It is difficult for me to say whether this classification is correct or not. With works that are worthy of attention, and have been written under the obvious influence of the music of the past, does not the matter consist rather in a quest that probes deeper than a mere imitation of the so-called classical idiom? I fear that the bulk of the public, and also the critics, are content with recording superficial impressions created by the use of certain technical devices which were current in so-called classical music. The use of such devices is insufficient to constitute the real neo­classicism, for classicism itself was characterized, not in the least by its technical processes which, then as now, were themselves subject to modification from period to period, but rather by its constructive values.49

Amidst all of the controversy that has surrounded it, the fact remains that his

Octet became regarded as a quintessential neoclassic piece. Some have been people who

have spoken out against what Stravinsky did, but others supported Stravinsky's

47 Scott Messing, "Polemic as History: The Case for Neoclassicism (The Journal of Musicology 9, no 4 Autumn 1991), 493.

48 Walsh, The Music of Stravinsky, 122.

49 Eric Walter White, Stravinsky: The Composer and his Works, 578

26

compositional choices. It is important to see all sides—criticism and controversy as well

as support and praise—in order to cultivate a deeper and more informed understanding of

the Octet. In performing this piece, knowing the history of its criticism gives the

performer a deeper grasp of how to approach its performance. When one is first exposed

to the Octet, it just seems like a nice chamber music work. However, when the history of

its criticism is learned and understood, it becomes a piece with a deep and complex

history. Knowing how it was seen from so many standpoints gives the performer, if

nothing else, much more insight during its preparation and performance.

27

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

Igor Stravinsky was an ever changing composer who wrote in virtually every

genre. He began his career writing in the footsteps of early Russian composers, including

Glazunov, Tchaikovsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov. After the death of his teacher Rimsky-

Korsakov, he gained another mentor in Sergei Diaghilev, and quickly began writing

ballet music, opera, and symphonic works. In 1917, he began his transition to

neoclassicism with The Soldier's Tale, and in 1920, continued his path to with his first

full-fledged neoclassic work, Pulcinella.

The Octet, written in 1923, is still considered one of the finest compositions

written not only during the composer's neoclassical period, but of his entire career. He

wrote it strictly for wind instruments, and whether the instrumentation was conceived

from a dream, or if it was pre-determined, no one, except Stravinsky, will know. His

Octet was considered the true beginning of his neoclassical period. It was written in three

movements, each in a different form: Sinfonia (sonata form,) Tema con Variazioni (theme

and variations,) and Finale (five part rondo with coda.) Stravinsky initially embraced

neoclassicism, but he would go on in later years to criticize the term, expressing that it

was a "much abused expression, meaning absolutely nothing."

28

No matter how Stravinsky felt, it is still considered one of the most important

chamber music pieces written for strictly wind instruments. When performing such a

piece, it is important to keep in mind the role of each instrument. Stravinsky wrote this

piece in four pairs, with the clarinet and flute serving as its own pair. The flute/clarinet,

bassoons, trumpets, and trombones each have their own function, but they also have a

partner to be mindful of. The bassoons are accompanying instruments that heavily utilize

counterpoint. The trumpets are primarily responsible for most of the melodic material.

The clarinet supports the bassoons at times, but is mainly there to support the flute, which

either plays melodic material in transitional passages or plays contrapuntal material

during the main themes. The trombones are, however, the exception. They are more

independent from each other. The bass trombone serves as the reinforcing instrument—

the bass role of the group, while the tenor trombone goes back and forth from melodic to

accompanying material.

The Octet is an enjoyable piece to listen to, but in preparing it for performance, is

an intricate and challenging piece to play as an ensemble. That is why it is important to

take the various factors into consideration (background, instrumentation, form and

analysis, and criticism) in order to create an informed performance of this prolific work.

By adhering to Stravinsky's instructions on how to perform the piece (with no personal

interpretation) and working together within the ensemble to know what he meant by

every objective marking, from tempo to dynamics, a meaningful and authentic

performance can occur. In the analysis, the performer has a better idea of how to play

this piece with all of Stravinsky's modifications and forms that he utilizes throughout the

29

work. Finally, in researching the history of its criticism, gives the Octet a much richer

and comprehensive understanding of performing this historic work.

30

APPENDIX

MASTERS RECITAL PROGRAM

California State University, Long Beach College of the Arts, and Department of Music

Bob Cole Conservatory of Music

Present

Candace Bartel, Trombone

In a Graduate Recital

Assisted by:

Curtis Heard, Piano Dr. Brian Bartel, Percussion and Conductor

Micah Layne, Flute Arnel Ignacio, Clarinet Spencer Dorn, Bassoon Justin Paguio, Bassoon John Cross, Trumpet Matt Rubin, Trumpet

Chris Murphy, Bass Trombone

Sunday, March 8,2009 Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall

8:00pm

32

Program

Sonata (Vox Gabrieli) (1973) Stjepan Sulek (1914-1986) Curtis Heard, piano

Concertino d'hiver, Op. 327 (1953) Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) Curtis Heard, piano

Cadenzas and Ostinatos (Still- life: Self Portrait with Statistics) (2008) Scott Wise (b. 1976)

Dr. Brian Bartel, percussion

INTERMISSION

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (1883-5) Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Transcribed by Eric Carlson

I. Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht (My Sweetheart's Wedding Day) II. Ging heut' morgen ubers Feld (This Morning in the Fields) III. Ich hab' ein gluhend Messer (/ Have a Burning Knife) IV. Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz (My Sweetheart's Blue Eyes) Curtis Heard, piano

Octet for Wind Instruments (1923) Igor Stravinsky (1882- 1971)

Micah Layne, Flute John Cross, trumpet Arnel Ignacio, clarinet Matt Rubin, trumpet Spencer Dorn, bassoon Candace Bartel, trombone Justin Paguio, bassoon Chris Murphy, bass trombone

Dr. Brian Bartel, conductor

33

Stjepan Sulek Sonata (Vox Gabrieli)/or Trombone and Piano

The Croatian composer, violinist, conductor, and music teacher, Stjepan Sulek (1914-1986), graduated from the Music Academy in Zagreb where he studied violin with the famous Czech teacher Vaclav Huml (1880-1953) and composition with Biago Bersa (1873-1934), the founder of the modern movement in Croatian music. Sulek was a member of the famous Trio with pianist Ivo Macek and cellist Antonio Janigro. In 1958, he launched a successful conducting career in which he helped develop an international reputation for the Chamber Orchestra of the Zagreb (today Croatian) Radio and Television. He received national and international recognition and was the recipient of numerous awards for his work. He was also a distinguished professor of music composition and mentor of many leading Croatian composers. His music includes a balance of technical and musical elements that are often reflective of the tragedy of human experience and the increasingly absurd circumstances of modern life. His neo-classical works link Baroque polyphony and Romantic period expressiveness, creating a characteristic and recognizable personal compositional style with contrasts powerful dramatic tensions with sincere, lyrical moments. Sulek was the last Croatian composer to write in this form. His Sonata (Vox Gabrieli) is an example of one such work. It is known for its beautiful voice (of Gabriel, God's angel) in the trombone and a busy and intricate piano accompaniment. The first section features a dark, flowing melody in the trombone part. The second section contrasts with a light and playful melody, leading to a fiery and exciting ending. Sulek's Sonata was written for the International Trombone Association Series of Solos and dedicated to William F. Cramer, former professor of trombone at Florida State University.

Darius Milhaud Concertino d'hiver/or Trombone and String Orchestra, op. 327

Born in Aix-en-Provence, France, in 1892, Darius Milhaud was a prolific and original composer. At seventeen, he left home to enter the Paris Conservatory where he trained originally as a violinist before turning to composition. Following his graduation, he spent two years in Brazil, with light duties as secretary to the French Minister, Paul Claudel. Later, Milhaud captured his impressions of Brazilian music in his Souvenirs and Memories of Brazil, 1921. Returning to Paris in 1918, he became a member of the group Les Six, headed by Satie, Cocteau, and Picasso, which emphasized youth and audacity. Some of his earliest successes were in the field of ballet, particularly LeBoeuf sur le toit (1920), and La Creation du Monde (1923.) The second work was one of the first to use of e jazz idiom. It resulted partly from his visit to New York where he heard jazz musicians in Harlem. In 1940, he came to the United States to teach composition at Mills College, in Oakland, California. Arguably, his most famous student there was Dave Brubeck. After World War II, he taught in alternate years at the Paris Conservatory and Mills College. Despite crippling arthritis in his hip, he conducted concerts while seated in a chair.

34

Being known for compositions that reflect his interest in jazz and polytonality, Milhaud wrote this concerto in 1953 for the famous trombonist Davis Schumann, who recorded it in 1955. The title, meaning "Little Winter Concerto," was composed as one part of four works intended to complete a 20th century counterpart to Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The others include: a work for violin and chamber orchestra entitled Concertino de printemps (Spring Concertino), Concertino d'automne for two pianos, and Concertino d'ete (Summer Concertino) for viola.

Scott Wise Cadenzas and Ostinatos (Still-life: Self Portrait with Statistics) for Trombone and Percussion

"Cadenzas and Ostinatos (Still-life: Self Portrait with Statistics) was written at the request of, and dedicated to, my long time friends Candace and Brian Bartel. The piece was inspired by the idea of trying to find a method of transferring the concept of the self-portrait/still-life into a musical form. I wasn't interested in a programmatic transfer, but rather I sought a way to bring the essence of that kind of visual creation into sound. The solution presented here was to create very small musical cells from statistics that "paint" a picture of myself in various times and settings, and then to use those cells to generate the harmonic and rhythmic material, as well as the general structure of the piece. From there, a more "traditional" and intuitive process of composing took place, as I sought to give these two fine performers dramatic and expressive music to showcase their considerable talents." Scott was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and grew up in Quincy, Michigan. He graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, Michigan in 1995, and went on to study at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas where he received his Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance and Music Composition as well as a Master of Music in Horn Performance while serving as a teaching assistant in the music theory department. While at SMU, Scott was the Shytles Music Scholar from 1995-1999 and won the Don Nobles Memorial Award in Composition in 1999 and 2000. Scott's works have been performed extensively in the Midwest, as well as in Japan, Korea, Brazil, and Mongolia. Currently, Scott L. Wise is the staff arranger/composer and a hornist with the United States Air Force Band of Flight at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He previously held the same position with the USAF Band of the Pacific in Tokyo, Japan.

-Scott L. Wise

Gustav Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen

Mahler composed the Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (most commonly translated as Songs of a Wayfarer but more literally translated as Songs of a Travelling Journeyman) from 1884-5. Mahler used the compositional process as a way to deal with depression and letdown, as he did in many points during his life. This particular channeling of negative energy into creative energy was the result of unrequited affection Mahler had for the singer Johanna Richter. He admired and praised her physical beauty and her musical prowess, but she had no interest for the twenty-four-year-old conductor. Richter's

35

marriage to another man sent Mahler into the mindset to compose this piece. Mahler wrote his own texts for this cycle, though they are heavily influenced by the folk poetry of Das Knaben Wunderhorn, an anthology from which he later drew many song texts. The original plan for the cycle included six songs, though only four made it into the completed version. The cycle was initially written for piano and voice, but was expanded to a full orchestral version several years later. The Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen are also important in that they started Mahler's integration of the genres of song and symphony. The first movement of the First Symphony draws much of its thematic material of the second Wayfarer song Ging heut' morgen iibers Feld, and the third movement quotes the fourth song, Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz. The fascination with combining these two genres lasted throughout Mahler's entire compositional career, culminating in his song cycle-symphony Das Lied von der Erde. This edition for Trombone and Piano is by Eric Carlson, second trombonist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. It is based on the final orchestral version of the songs.

Translation of songs

1. My Sweetheart's Wedding Day My sweetheart's wedding day is a sad one for me! I go into my little dark room and weep for my dear sweetheart!

Little blue flower! Do not fade! Little sweet bird! You sing on the green heath Oh! How beautiful is the world!

Do not sing! Do not bloom! Spring has gone, and the singing is over. In the evening when I go to sleep, I think of my sorrow!

2. This Morning In the Fields

This morning I went through the fields, Dew still clung to the grass, The gay finch said to me: "How is it? Good Morning! How goes it? Isn't it a beautiful world? A beautiful thing! How I love the world!"

The bluebell by the field with its little bells, Has also gayly, sprightly, rung out its morning greeting: Isn't it a beautiful world? A beautiful thing! How I love the world!"

36

The world began to sparkle in the sunshine! Everything gained sound and color! In the sunshine! Flower and bird, large and small! Good day! Isn't it a beautiful world? Isn't it? Isn't it?

Now won't my happiness begin too? No! No! That which I seek can never more blossom for me! 3.1 Have a Burning Knife

I have a burning knife in my breast, Oh woe! Oh woe! It cuts so deep into joy and bliss, So deep! So deep!

Oh, and what an evil guest this is. It never gives peace, never allows rest. Not by day, not even in sleep! Oh woe! Oh woe!

When I look into the sky, I see two blue eyes. When I walk in the fields, I see her blond hair. Oh woe! Oh woe!

When I awake from dreaming, I hear her silver laughter. Oh woe! Oh woe!

I wish I lay on the black bier,

And could nevermore open my eyes!

4. My Sweetheart's Blue Eyes

My sweetheart's two blue eyes Have sent me away into the wide world. I had to leave my most beloved place. Oh blue eyes why did you ever gaze at me? Now I am forever in pain and sorrow. I've gone into the silent night. No one bid me farewell. My only comrades were love and sorrow.

37

A linden tree stands by the road. Under it, for the first time I rested in sleep. It snowed blossoms over me. Then I forgot how life can hurt. Everything was well again. Everything... love and sorrow, World, and dream.

Igor Stravinsky Octet for Wind Instruments

Igor Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum, Russia, on June 17 1882, and died in New York on April 6 1971. He began his Octet in Biarritz, France in 1922, and completed it in Paris on May 26 1923. The work was dedicated (secretly) to Vera Soudeikine (born de Bosset), whom Stravinsky had met in 1920, and with whom he eventually married. The first performance took place at the Koussevitsky Concerts in the Paris Opera on October 18 1923, with Stravinsky conducting. He revised it in 1952. The instrumentation is for flute, clarinet, two bassoons, two trumpets (one in C and one in A), and trombones (one tenor and one bass.) One version of the origin of its instrumentation came from a dream he had, of which he said:

The Octour began with a dream in which I saw myself in a very small room surrounded by a group of instrumentalists playing some very attractive music. I did not recognize the music, though I strained to hear it, and I could not recall any feature if it the next day, but I do remember my curiosity- in the dream- to know how many the musicians were. I remember too that after I counted them to the number eight. I looked again and saw they were playing bassoons, trombones, trumpets, a flute, and a clarinet. I awoke from this little concert in a state of great delight and anticipation and the next morning began to compose the Octour, which I had had no thought the day before, though for some time I had wanted to write an ensemble piece- not incidental music like the Histoire du Soldat, but an instrumental sonata.

The Octet was one of the first pieces written during his "neoclassical period." There are three movements: Sinfonia (written in sonata form), Theme and Variations, and Finale (written as a five part rondo with coda.) There is no break between the last two movements.

38

BIBLIOGRAPHY

39

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Blitzstein, Marc. "The Phenomenon of Stravinsky." The Musical Quarterly 21, no 3 (July 1935): 330-47.

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Hyde, Martha Maclean. "Neoclassic and Anachronistic Impulses in Twentieth-Century Music." Music Theory Spectrum: The Journal of the Society for Music Theory 18, no. 2 (Fall 1996): 200-35.

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