Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

Stravinsky's conversations with his amanuensis, Robert Craft, are irresistibly fascinating. Ranging from literary lights to artists and musicians, the people and places discussed are a connoisseur's delight. This is an absolutely delightful journey into our cultured past through the mind of one of the musical geniuses of the twentieth century.

From the early 1950s until Stravinsky's death in 1971, Craft, awriter and conductor, accompanied the famed composer on his concert tours and even co-conducted his concerts. Between 1958 and 1969 they published five books together, known collectively as the Conversations. This new work is a one-volume version of those five and was compiled by and contains new material by Craft. Entries are presented in order following the stages of Stravinsky's life: Russian,Swiss, French, and American. At show more Craft's prodding, Stravinsky talks about his early musical experiences as a pianist and accompanist, his memories of other composers, the creation of the Firebird and other works, and his relationship with his family. He recalls his friendships with such celebrated people as Matisse, Picasso, Rodin,Debussy, Monet, and others. The book's final section deals with the composer's life in California and the music he created there, and what Craft calls "perspectives of an octogenarian." This is a fascinating portrait of the composer and the geniuses in his circle of friends. George Cohen

For the first time in one volume--the celebrated Stravinsky and Craft Conversations.

Few would dispute that Igor Stravinsky was the greatest composer of the twentieth century. Conductor and writer Robert Craft was his closest colleague and friend, and for over twenty-one years he lived with the Stravinskys in their Hollywood home. In the early 1950s he accompanied the composer on his concert tours, and from the mid-1950s to Stravinsky's death in 1971 he co-conducted his concerts. Together Stravinsky and Craft published five acclaimed collections known as the Conversations series, which sprung from informal talks between the two men.

In this newly edited and re-structured one-volume version, Craft brings Stravinsky's reflections on his childhood, his family life, professional associates, and personal relationships into sharper focus and places the major compositions in their cultural milieux. The Conversations books are the only published writing attributed to Stravinsky that are actually "by him" in terms of fidelity to his thoughts and opinions, making this volume required reading for all fans and students of Stravinsky's music. show less

Absolute delight! The language was smooth, and cold, like icy milk. He wrote it in his head in Russian, then on paper in French, and then it was translated into English. Charming, sincere, earnest....a real lovely all around book about music I will always have on my shelf.

For me, a classic example of the eye doing the buying. Excuse the pun. In the late 50s, Woolworth’s produced a cheap series of classical albums on their Music for Pleasure label. I spotted this one in the racks and was so taken with the photo of the mountain (Ayres Rock in Australia, as it turned out) that resistance was impossible. With help from the liner notes, which I found incredibly illuminating, I could almost construct my own imagined dance to this fantastic piece of music. The show more ostinato theme for the four tubas is as powerful a riff as any found in rock. Earlier in my then short life I had bought Gustav Holst’s The Planets Suite, motivated by watching a tremendous sci-fi series on BBC television called The Quartermass Experiment from behind the sofa when my parents thought I had gone to bed. After each episode I would tiptoe back to my bedroom rigid with fear, so powerful did the action seem to me. The title music was “Mars, the Bringer of War,” so I already knew that classical music wasn't boring. show less