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Stravinsky (Magill Book Reviews)

At a glance:

Robert Craft, the well-known composer, conductor, and protege of Igor Stravinsky, has written often about Stravinsky in the past, but in his new collection, STRAVINSKY: GLIMPSES OF A LIFE, he deals with areas that his previous works have not covered, at least not in depth. Here, for example, Craft recounts the tribulations suffered by Catherine Stravinsky, the composer’s first wife, who was summarily rejected by Stravinsky after he fell in love with Vera Sudeikina, who was to become the second Mrs. Stravinsky. It is to Catherine Stravinsky’s credit that she accepted this turn of events with almost superhuman grace and seemed to be concerned primarily with her husband’s welfare and the welfare of the Stravinsky children.

Another chapter deals at painful length with Stravinsky’s second wife, who fared little better than his first. Although Vera Stravinsky went out of her way to support Stravinsky’s children by his first wife, even going so far as to persuade him to give them money that he was not inclined to hand over to them, the Stravinsky children, who had used Vera Stravinsky rather shamelessly to further their own interests with their father, spared no effort to cheat her out of her rightful inheritance after their father’s death. Their machinations are demonstrated by Craft, who saw much of what transpired firsthand, to be nothing short of outrageous.

One four-chapter section discusses the origins of Stravinsky’s masterpiece THE RITE OF SPRING, then examines in some depth various serious musicological studies of this great work, adding many insights that only Craft, with his close relationship to the great composer, could have provided.

A final section examines other works, including SVADEBKA, HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT, and OEDIPUS REX, among others. It should be noted that much of Craft’s musical analysis can only be understood by readers who have a substantial knowledge of musical theory and harmony. It is also true that Craft expects a certain amount of general knowledge on the part of his readers, and he frequently gives foreign-language quotations without providing English translations. It is refreshing to read a writer who does not talk down to his readers, but many readers may be unable to understand Craft’s quotations and references.

This volume will be extremely useful for serious music students and aficionados. It contains photographic illustrations, musical examples, and an index that was not provided with the advance proofs that were made available to this reviewer.