Off The Cuff : The Firebird
{ program notes
Though over his long career he would become a fearless modernist , continually experimenting with new styles , he won his fame in 1910 with this lush and sensual score , a grand summation of the 19 th -century Russian fascination with fantastic plots and opulent instrumental colors .
The Firebird ’ s music needed to be lush for it was written for Serge Diaghilev ’ s spectacular Ballets Russes , which was dazzling Paris during the seasons immediately preceding World War I . Diaghilev had a genius for assembling the greatest Russian dancers as well as scenic designers , poets and composers from Russia and France to create ballet extravaganzas that looked as colorful as they sounded . In 1909 , seeking a composer to replace Anatoli Liadov ( dropped after he failed to meet his deadline ), Diaghilev had the happy inspiration to try the 27-year-old Stravinsky , who had hitherto worked for him only as an orchestrator . The Firebird was Stravinsky ’ s first major commission . “ Take a good look at him ,” Diaghilev told his leading ballerina Tamara Karsavina during rehearsals . “ He is a man on the eve of celebrity .” And indeed , when The Firebird premiered at the Paris Opéra on June 25 , 1910 to tumultuous applause , Stravinsky immediately became one of the hottest composers of the day .
The Firebird is a beloved creature in Russian folklore , and she corresponds to the Phoenix in classical mythology as a symbol of rebirth . The Russian folklorist Afasyev describes her thus : “ The feathers of the Firebird are effulgent with silver and gold … her eyes shine like crystal , and she sits in a golden cage . At darkest midnight , she flies into the garden and lights it as brightly as if with a thousand burning bonfires . Just one of her tail feathers holds such magical power that it is worth more than a kingdom .” The scenario of the ballet combines the Firebird with the legends of the evil ogre Kastchei the Deathless One and the captive princesses ( familiar to us as the Grimm Brothers ’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses ).
Usually , we only hear the 20-minute orchestral suite that Stravinsky drew in 1919 from his score . But at these concerts , we ’ ll experience the complete 45-minute-long ballet score , which contains much more
Off The Cuff : The Firebird
Music Center At Strathmore
Friday , May 5 , 2017 — 8:15 pm
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Saturday , May 6 , 2017 — 7pm
Markus Stenz , conductor
Igor Stravinsky The Firebird ( complete , 1910 )
Saturday , May 6 : Join us for an after-party in the Meyerhoff lobby featuring live entertainment , food and drink specials . Made possible by The Wallace Foundation
The concert will end at approximately 9:30 pm on Friday and 8:15 pm on Saturday .
Supporting Sponsor :
The Wagner Tuben used in this concert are a gift from Beth Green Pierce in memory of her father , Elwood I . Green .
imaginatively conceived and stunningly orchestrated music worth discovering . Here , along with a synopsis of the ballet ’ s plot , are some of the moments worth savoring .
In the murky and mysterious music that opens the ballet , Stravinsky conjures the dangerous realm of Kastchei ’ s castle and its magical garden with ominous scales in muted low strings and menacing trombone snarls . Soon we hear the eerie sound of the Firebird ’ s wings , an otherworldly effect created by the strings playing natural harmonics along with the shimmer of celesta and harp . Prince Ivan climbs over the castle wall to try to capture her . He briefly succeeds in “ The Firebird ’ s Dance ”; here is some of Stravinsky ’ s most ingenious music , glinting with darting rhythms and prismatic , lighter-than-air colors from high
woodwinds . Beginning with a viola solo , the Firebird pleads for her freedom , and when the Prince relents , she rewards him with one of her potent feathers .
As he looks around Kastchei ’ s garden , Ivan sees a magical tree glowing with golden apples but also some ominous objects : stone heads of monsters and a fence of petrified knights frozen in a row . All are victims of Kastchei . As he is about to flee , the castle door opens , and 13 lovely princesses appear , led by the most beautiful of them all , Princess Unearthly Beauty ( enchanted music featuring violin and flute solos ). To fast , glittering music , they play with the golden apples in the moonlight . Announced by a horn solo , Ivan suddenly appears to them . The princesses then dance a traditional Russian khorovode , a female
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