The revolution of Symphony in Three Movements by Stavinsky.

Born a Russian but later also acquiring French and American nationality, Stravinsky is one of the most influential composers of the 20^th century. His music is most widely known for the up-beat, energetic rhythmic structure, sort of like the techno music of the 20^th century (although I’m sure Stravinsky would turn over in his grave if he ever read this). Modern listeners might not find his off-beat rhythms strange, but for his time he was quite a revolutionist and rebel. His debut of The Rite of Spring in 1913 actually caused a music riot! By the time the orchestra got to the second act the police had to kick in to calm the situation down.

                His piece titled Symphony in Three Movements, is characteristic of his style with an up-beat, almost war march like feel to it. All of these characteristics are accentuated by the plucking of the violins on the beats that pop out, as well as the running scales going in the back ground. This is for sure a piece you want to listen to before, say, a big test or a work out, rather than before you go to bed. The piece is also, characteristic of Stravinsky, filled with complex rhythms and time signatures. I would imagine that some very skilled players are probably required for the execution of this piece in order to keep all the parts moving together at the complex time changes. I personally like to relax when I listen to classical music and this piece is all but relaxing. It is full of passion and zeal.

                This piece was composed in the latter part of Stravinsky’s life when he turned more towards a neoclassical style. This type of style usually pays tribute to earlier composers like J.S. Bach and Tchaikovsky. Pieces composed in this style also usually closely relates to concerto grosso’s or symphony’s. During this period Stravinsky also made use of a serial style of composing. This simply means that he used many different note values to denote a complex rhythm, without changing the time signature. All in all, Stravinsky was a trend setter for his time.

Review: Chick Corea "Come Rain or Shine"

          From the first song of this EP released in June 2012, Chick Corea’s Come Rain or Shine swings right in with a bellowing female voice that ushers one to the dream state that is unique to jazz. This voice contrasts well with the wandering of Corea’s piano in the back. This piece is followed by a display of piano virtuosity in Corea’s “Fiesta Piano Solo.” A tinge of classical seeps into the piece until a crash of syncopation brings the listener jarringly back to the realization that yes, this is a jazz piece and yes, one does not know where it will lead to. The next piece, “Sea Breeze” brings in the rest of the band. The xylophone, snare drums, cymbals, and brass fill out Corea’s superb piano playing.  At the end of the EP is I Ain’t Mad at You, a celebration of the history of jazz. Beginning with a soft interplay of xylophones and the black keys of the piano, the piece starts out with a New York swing style beat before the sudden appearance of a raspy vocalization that draws influences from Southern blues and soul. Trumpets emerge to the top to finish off the medley in a New Orleans style fashion.

            Chick Corea, born as Armando Corea, grew up in the Boston area with a jazz trumpet player as his father. Early influences on Corea’s love for jazz music include Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Bud Powell. However, it wasn’t until Corea began taking classical piano lessons from concert pianist Salvatore Sullo that Corea became interested in musical composition. Throughout his career, the classical influence on his compositions is easily noticeable, and this early classical training contributes largely to Corea’s virtuosity on the keys. However, Corea is proabably most know for his role as the pianist in Miles Davis’ band in the 60’s. While working with Davis, Corea established himself as a nationally acclaimed jazz pianist and a contributor to the electric jazz movement.

Review of Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements: I. Overture

     Written over the span of three years, Symphony in Three Movements earned Igor Stravinsky much praise when premiered in 1946. Initially performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the piece challenges the archetypal version of a classical symphony, celebrating the unconventional in a way that is often expected in the compositions of Igor Stravinsky. In this particular piece, the Russian composer sought to portray the destruction and devastation of World War I through his music—something I believe he did quite successfully. Within just the first few measures, the first movement confronts an audience with the overpowering culmination of brass and string. The added layer of percussion contributes to a harsh and unyielding sound that quickly dies down, almost as fast as it flared up.

     Stravinsky laces intentional inconsistency and uses rough, dramatic transitions throughout the movement. Wielding just six notes, the piece employs a turbulent dynamic of rapid changes in intensity and volume. Moreover, there is a distinct confrontation in pitch between string and brass. With no real focus on melody, the first movement thus constructs an intriguing parallel between the confrontation associated with war and his musical conflict. Stravinsky captures another element of war by evoking uneasiness, as the persistent rhythm of violin underlies the whole first movement. Soon, the rapid chords of the piano add to the angst, contributing to the buildup in volume, rhythm, and musical discord. The tumultuous bombardment of brass drives the rhythm forward, fueling an intangible fire that seems to bellow more and more out of control.

     Interestingly, Stravinsky’s remarks regarding his inspiration for the Symphony in Three Movements are all rooted in the uncontrollable destruction that had taken place across Europe and Asia. From the scorched earth tactics employed in China to the toxic gas dispersal in Europe, images of total devastation remained ingrained in his mind. Indeed, the allusion to total calamity is well-discernible in Stravinsky’s piece. Fittingly referred to as his “War Symphony,” this composition seems to be Stravinsky’s mission to capture the war in a way that film, or writing, could not. He creates emotion, anguish, even terror within the audience, and in the end, I think Symphony in Three Movements is a mission, accomplished.

Review: Symphony in Three Movements: Movement I

As performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the first movement of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements is a thunderous dialogue of the different instrumental sections of the orchestra. From the very beginning, the audience is met with a heavy roll of the percussion, which is immediately replied by a dissonant interplay between the sharp string section and the resonant brass. The epic clashes that follow throughout the piece invoke a sense of a harsher, unapologetic version of Wagner.

For each climax is a resolution, and Stravinsky does not neglect this rule for the first movement of his symphony. The first decrescendo leads to a staccato performance of the string section. Creating a tense and almost primal qualia, the string section emphasizes the piercing nature of their instruments. Soon enough, the percussion returns to beckon the rest of the orchestra back to battle. This form of sectional resolution reappears throughout the piece. The next resolution highlights the brass section, with the strings maintaining a background presence. This continues with the piano and the wind instruments as well. The softer piano and wind instruments provide a more harmonic interlude near the middle of the movement. But the brass nonetheless sneaks back in, followed not so far behind by the string and percussion.

Written between 1942-1945, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements sits right in the middle of World War II. In a rare move, Stravinsky acknowledged the influence of war on his piece. The first movement of his “war symphony” specifically drew inspiration from images of the Japanese scorched earth tactic in China at the time.  As the name implies, this tactic involved the full-scale destruction of crop fields and natural environments in order to starve the population into submission. From this perspective, the percussion, brass, and string section seem to overwhelm and decimate the softer interludes of the more natural sounding piano and wind instruments. Even during the resolutions, the war influence is felt clearly by a subdued brass or string element in the background. All this contributes to the ultimate anxious and severe nature of the piece.

Overall, the Berlin Philharmonic’s performance highlights the key elements of Stravinsky’s work and amplified the tone of the piece to an appropriate level. Particularly, the brass section successfully accomplished a forceful sound that carried the movement to the very end. In general, a standing ovation for this performance.