Stravinsky’s masterpiece. Popular classical music.
Among his signature works are the ballet scores The Rite of Spring and The Firebird, and when it comes to a Russian composer who epitomizes the 20th century in the classical world, that would be Igor Stravinsky.
Stravinsky’s style is often marked by technical complexity and challenging harmonies and rhythms; many of his pieces are not easily embraced by general audiences.
Yet his avant-garde approach has continued to shock with each listening and made him one of the musicians who exerted a wide-ranging influence on the arts from the 20th century onward.
Here, I’ll list and introduce Stravinsky’s works—from the most representative to those that might make you think, “Wait, this is by Stravinsky too?”
Whether you find them accessible or not is up to you—do give them a listen!
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Stravinsky’s masterpieces: Popular classical music (31–40)
Concerto for StringsIgor Stravinsky
It is a concerto composed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra founded by Paul Sacher, and it is also known as the Basel Concerto.
The premiere, conducted by Sacher, took place in 1947.
It is sometimes used as ballet music.
4 Etudes No. 4, Op. 7-4 in F-sharp majorIgor Stravinsky
This short piece, composed in 1908 and running just under two minutes, is a masterpiece that shines with an inventive fusion of harmony and rhythm.
Its light, lively motion bursts forth like fireworks, captivating the listener.
The deft use of syncopation drives a dynamic progression, while vivid harmonic shifts blend seamlessly, bringing out the performer’s full virtuosity.
Though brief, the work distills Igor Stravinsky’s innovative spirit in its pursuit of musical possibility, making it a memorable choice for a piano recital encore.
Notably, in November 1947, pianist Nadia Reisenberg gave a striking performance of the piece at Carnegie Hall.
3rd movement from PetrushkaIgor Stravinsky
Stravinsky employed a variety of compositional techniques depending on the era, including primitivism, neoclassicism, and twelve-tone methods.
Today, his popularity is concentrated around ballet music such as The Firebird and The Rite of Spring, and Petrushka is one of these as well—this is its piano arrangement.
Three Movements from PetrushkaIgor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky, the great Russian composer who left numerous masterpieces characterized by primitivism, neoclassicism, and serialism.
His Three Movements from Petrushka is one of his signature piano works.
The piece is extraordinarily difficult; it was created after the great pianist Arthur Rubinstein asked Stravinsky to write “the most difficult piece ever.” It can be considered challenging in every respect—requiring agile fingerwork, stamina, wide leaps on the keyboard, and deep expressivity.
Four Etudes, Op. 7 No. 4Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky, an innovative composer who epitomized the 20th century, was born in Russia in 1882 and rose to fame with his ballet scores such as The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring.
His youthful work Four Etudes, Op.
7—especially the fourth—has long been known as a piece of high technical and expressive difficulty.
While inheriting the traditions of classical music, this work also bears his unique creative interpretation.
Its rhythmic, energetic character reveals the early stirrings of the pulse and dynamism that would mark his later compositions.
Savor this piece and experience the development of Stravinsky’s compositional style.
Stravinsky’s masterpieces. Popular classical music (41–50)
Italian SuiteIgor Stravinsky
Although it is a piece from the modern era, it is composed based on a Baroque-style idiom.
It selects several memorable numbers from the ballet Pulcinella, and it is also performed on instruments like the cello.
As it progresses toward the latter half, harmonies characteristic of contemporary music appear more frequently, as if the composer’s true nature gradually emerges.
Serenade in A majorIgor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky, an innovative composer who defined the 20th century.
His piano work Serenade in A, composed in 1925, is a piece with a distinctive sonority.
Designed for gramophone recording so that each movement would fit on one side of a record, it consists of four movements influenced by modern classical and neoclassical styles.
Its unique musical language—interweaving complex rhythms, fragmentary melodies, and nontraditional harmonies—can be experienced in the composer’s own performances as a pianist.
Experience this work in recordings and feel for yourself how his music revolutionized 20th-century musical thought.