Stravinsky and Poulenc

So, i will be writing several blogs to catchup the night before the exam! This will be an adventure.

Stravinsky (1882 -1971)

Not a whole lot to say. Began his career successfully writing ballets. There isn't too much for the piano. There is the famous Petrushka, which is one of the toughest pieces to play. Its interesting how the composers who wrote the famously difficult music didn't write too much else for the piano (except for Liszt of course). There is also the Sonata and some Etudes, Op. 7.

If Schoenberg was the "Emancipator of dissonance," than Stravinsky was the "emancipator of rhythm." He write some of the most obscene and often erroneous time signature changes and random rhythms that really do give the sensation of an ametric meter. He and Bartok were both doing things like this, but it seems like Stravinsky was the one who went the extra step.

And oh yeah, Stravinsky was also quite neo-classicist. In fact, sometimes more neo-borouqe than Neo-Classiscist. Taking ideas from the past, and making them fresh.

Poulenc (1894 - 1963)

Very little to say:
Famous for his line: "Do not analyze my music - love it."

And so I wont.

Very little rep to know about, the "Les Soires de Nazelles" is a big piece, about 30 mins long, which is comprised of 8 character pieces or "portraits." There is also a presto in B-flat, and "Perpetual Motion," a pretty cool piece.