Conductor's Guide to Stravinsky's Petrouchka & The Rite of Spring

By: Gerard Schwarz

Narrated by: Gerard Schwarz

Length: 1 hr and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

As the 20th century winds to its close, Igor Stravinsky stands securely as its most important and influential composer. For more than six decades his works defined modernism in music, just as Picasso's canvases showed the essence of modernism in painting. Like that great Spanish artist, who was almost his exact contemporary, Stravinsky attained a dominating stature in his field. Only a handful of composers rivaled him in significance during his lifetime. None surpassed him.

Stravinsky's pre-eminence among the modern masters rests in large part on the great originality of his work. The composer introduced exciting new rhythmic possibilities into concert music, made expressive use of dissonance, and conceived unprecedented instrumental sonorities. These novelties baffled some listeners early in the century and cemented the composer's reputation as a daring modernist. Yet for all his innovation, Stravinsky was no iconoclast bent on destroying the past. On the contrary, his art was in many ways rooted in tradition. He drew inspiration from legends and fairy tales, from old Italian comedy and classical myths. And he loved music from earlier centuries and paid homage to it in a number of his works.

The Musically Speaking Conductor's Guides are your link to an appreciation of the greatest classical music ever performed. Let Maestro Gerard Schwarz enrich your classical music listening enjoyment by illuminating the great works of the Masters with revealing commentary and educational insight.

If you love the symphony, this hour of delightful entertainment and fascinating information will enrich your symphony experience like nothing else. See the entire Musically Speaking Collection here.

©1996 CVP, Inc. (P)1996 CVP, Inc.

Loved it

As a musician, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. A lot of facts weren’t new to me. The pieces were conveyed to the listener in a very pleasant, fluent and informative way. I wish this version was extended into an even deeper insight!

*I think there is a slight problem with the volume half way through hence my a bit lower score.

Misleading title . . . not FOR conductors

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This audiobook, while well written, does not fall in line with it's title. I was specifically looking for an in-depth analysis of the Rite of Spring. The level of analysis in this book is very superficial. It is not written FOR conductors. It is written BY a conductor and intended for the layperson.

Would you be willing to try another book from Gerard Schwarz? Why or why not?

No. The title of the audiobook is misleading, and I do not intend to continue to be misled.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes.

Was Conductor's Guide to Stravinsky's Petrouchka & The Rite of Spring worth the listening time?

See answer above. Not a waste of time, but not what the title led me to believe it to be.

interesting introduction to Stavinsky works

I loved this lecture - I listened to it after a live performance of Petrouchka and I wished I had listened to it beforehand. I got so much of a deeper understanding of the story behind the music and the music itself. The lecturer is interesting and it is well-produced.

Just to be clear, this is similar to a lecture you would get by a conductor before a performance, written at the level of an interested layperson.