The journal Music Academy published a large-scale two-part study by Tatiana Baranova-Monighetti, the topic of which was musical tributes in the world of Stravinsky. In the first part, the author introduces the readers to the music “to health” – homages and sound gifts that Stravinsky exchanged with friends and colleagues. The second part presents music “for the repose” – memorial compositions by Igor Fyodorovich and offerings to his memory.
Along with this encyclopedia article, the digital album and music collection named Le tombeau de Stravinsky were released. In 2022, Tatiana Baranova-Monighetti and Yaroslav Timofeev approached several composers with a request to send existing scores or write new ones in memory of Stravinsky. Five of them – Elena Firsova, Dmitry Smirnov, Alexander Knaifel, Krzysztof Meyer, and Nastasia Khrustcheva – made up this small collection that includes four world premieres.
Stravinsky has always been dear to musicians not only as a composer, but also as a master from whom they can and should learn endlessly. Probably, there is not a single notable composer of the 20th and 21st centuries who would not have had a dialogue with him either face-to-face or in his/her mind. The guild sociology confirms the fact: 174 of Stravinsky’s colleagues polled by BBC Music Magazine in 2019 said that he was the second greatest composer after Bach. The gravitation of Stravinsky’s world is powerful – it attracts intellectually, creatively, and emotionally. And in the center of this world, we find the infinitely charming person who was, is, and will be an indispensable companion for many. Each of the five pieces featured in this collection is not just a tribute, but also a declaration of love.
* World premiere recordings
The recording was made in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory on April 15 and 20, 2023 by “Melodiya” (1, 2, 4, 5) and the Great Hall of the Secondary Special Music School of St. Petersburg Conservatory on May 11, 2022 by Classic Multimedia Group (3).
