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Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird - suite (1911 version) - Finale

Dates: b. 1882 / d. 1971

Nationality: Russian

Period: 20th Century

Genre: Ballet music

Key Musical Elements:

  • Texture
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky

Claudia Winkleman introduces Stravinsky's The Firebird.

Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He became internationally famous when his ballet The Firebird was premiered in Paris in 1910. Stravinsky was so proud of his composition that he later made it into an orchestral suite for performance in the concert hall without dancers.

Stravinsky's piece is based on a Russian folk tale about a magical glowing bird that Prince Ivan is searching for. The firebird is imprisoned in a castle with a beautiful princess. Ivan rescues the bird and the princess but then his own sister poisons him and the princess. Luckily the firebird flies to the fountain of youth and with magic water brings Prince Ivan and his beloved princess back to life.

Listen out for: The bassoon solo playing alone at the beginning of the full orchestral performance. Gradually other instruments in – first the harp and strings and then the wind. The texture gradually gets thicker and the sound more powerful. The change of texture from a single bassoon voice to the full orchestra with all of the sections playing creates a celebratory finale.

Watch a full orchestral performance of Stravinsky's piece from BBC NOW.

Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky was born in Russia in 1882. His dad was a singer with the St Petersburg Opera and from a very young age Igor knew he wanted to be a musician when he grew up. Stravinsky in fact grew up to be one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th Century. He was also a bit of a musical chameleon, changing his musical style every few years to fit each new challenge. He first became famous in Paris in the 1910s writing vivid and exciting ballets, one of which caused a full-scale riot in the audience on opening night and catapulted him to fame.

Later in his life he wrote music that sounded like it had come from centuries before (neo-classical) and at the end of his life in 1971 he was in Hollywood, writing the occasional film score in between living the life of a celebrity. Stravinsky's unique sound changed music forever and his early Parisian ballets still inspire younger musicians.

 

Claudia Winkleman presents facts and the historical context of Stravinsky's piece, The Firebird.

MP3s: Listen to or the music

the Firebird – suite (1911) (Finale) MP3

You can also the Firebird orchestral backing track

Or the Firebird piano accompaniment

(PC: right click, Mac: ctrl-click)

Performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Lesson Plans

lesson plans for six weeks of learning and activities for The Firebird, as Powerpoint presentations or PDFs.To enable all images to work in the Powerpoint files please save the file to your computer. To save to your computer: PC - right-click and save, Mac - ctrl-click and save.

Primary lesson plans:

Primary lesson plan for The Firebird (Powerpoint)

Primary lesson plan for The Firebird (PDF)

Lesson plan by Rachel Leach

Suitable for:
*Key Stage 2 in England and Wales
*Second Level, P5-P7 in Scotland
*Key Stage 1/Key Stage 2 in Northern Ireland

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