Memories and Commentaries: New One-Volume Edition

by Igor Stravinsky, Robert Craft

Few would dispute that Igor Stravinsky was the greatest composer of the twentieth century. Conductor and writer Robert Craft was his closest colleague and friend. Together they published five acclaimed collections known as the Conversations series, which sprung from informal talks between the two men. In this newly edited and re-structured one-volume version, Craft brings Stravinsky's reflections on his childhood, his family life, professional associates, and personal relationships into sharper focus and places the major compositions in their cultural milieux.

Genres: Music, Russia

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most important and influential composers of 20th century music.

He was a quintessentially cosmopolitan Russian who was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the century. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1946. In addition to the recognition he received for his compositions, he also achieved fame as a pianist and a conductor, often at the premieres of his works.

He also published a number of books throughout his career, almost always with the aid of a collaborator, sometimes uncredited. In his 1936 autobiography, Chronicles of My Life, written with the help of Walter Nouvel, Stravinsky included his infamous statement that "music is, by its very nature, essentially powerless to express anything at all."

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

More interesting than I expected. The “petty” comments, or more like thoughts, about other people actually make Stravinsky real. Most interesting parts are the ones when he talks about his experimental work. His passion flows out of the words.

[Paolo Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Ma basta con questo discorso. Nonostante quanto ho ammesso, la sinfonia non è programmatica. I compositori combinano delle note. Tutto qui. Come e in che forma le cose di questo mondo si riflettono nella loro musica non sta a loro dirlo.»

«Sia stata o no la Chiesa la mecenate più saggia (io penso di sì; i compositori commettono meno peccati musicali in chiesa), essa ha avuto una grande ricchezza di forme musicali. Quanto siamo più poveri senza le funzioni musicali sacre, senza le Passioni, le cantate per tutto l'anno dei protestanti, le Messe, i mottetti, i concerti sacri, le lamentazioni e i vespri dei cattolici. Queste non sono forme defunte, ma parti dello spirito musicale in disuso.
La Chiesa sapeva ciò che sapeva il salmista: che la musica loda Iddio. La musica è in grado di lodarLo altrettanto e meglio dell'edificio ecclesiastico e di tutte le sue decorazioni. È il più grande ornamento della Chiesa. Gloria, gloria, gloria; la musica del mottetto di Orlando di Lasso loda Iddio e questa “gloria” particolare non esiste nella musica profana. E non solo la gloria, anche se penso innanzitutto ad essa perché la gloria del “Laudate”, la gloria della dossologia, è quasi estinta. Lo spirito scompare con la forma. Non faccio paragoni tra la “gamma emotiva” o la “varietà” della musica sacra e di quella profana. La musica dell'Ottocento e del Novecento è tutta profana, e “espressamente” e “emotivamente” va più in là di qualsiasi cosa della musica dei secoli precedenti: l'Angst in “Lulu”, per esempio, dove più che la gloria risuona la violenza o la tensione, il perpetuarsi del movimento dell'epitasi nella musica di Schönberg. Dico soltanto che senza la Chiesa, “lasciati fare a modo nostro”, siamo impoveriti di molte forme musicali.»

«Ho sempre cercato di distinguere fra l'oggetto musicale e l'emozione che esso ispira, in quanto l'oggetto è attivo, l'emozione reattiva. Il punto è, semplicemente, che i miei sentimenti sono molto meno interessanti dell'arte di Beethoven, e che, in primo luogo, Beethoven non comunicava le sue emozioni ma le sue idee musicali, che nondimeno possono averle trasmesse. In altre parole, io sto esattamente all'opposto di Diderot, il quale chiedeva a un dipinto di “commuoverlo”, di “spezzargli il cuore”, di farlo “tremare” e “piangere”, ma “dopo” soltanto di “deliziargli gli occhi”.»

[Vincent Hernot · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was funny reading this while reading Prokofiev's Diaries at the same time: they are competitors, really, and it's clear Prokofiev would like to have even a tenth of what Stravinsky had at that time (fame, money). In here, Stravinsky talks about various composers he likes, about composing, and, yes, he does have a thing or two to say about Prokofiev - might be a case of damning with faint praise, or perhaps not praising at all...Stravinsky, I should say, does manage to come across as pretty infatuated with himself, and pretty sure he's right and others are wrong.
This being said, that's exactly how Prokofiev comes out most of the time as well, so...
Anyway: very nice book, part of a longer series with R Craft, this was a re-read for me, I read the others, they're all interesting.

[Pablo Solán Fustero · Rating 5 out of 5]

No hubiera leído este libro si no me hubiese llegado a las manos por una confusión tonta en un regalo, principalmente, porque en cuanto a compositores, Stravinsky no era el que más conocía ni el que quisiera conocer mejor, pero un año después de entonces me decidí a empezarlo con la promesa de que si me resultaba obtuso lo abandonaría a la primera ocasión. Lo tenía por una lectura adulta, o incluso destinada a la vejez. Sin embargo, he conocido aquí un entendimiento de la música que desgraciadamente no creo que pueda alcanzar, y me ha fascinado sobremanera cómo desarrolla sus opiniones -que pueden resultar del todo controvertidas- con una maestría y conocimiento superiores en el tema musical acerca de sus obras y las de otros compositores y artistas. Además presenta a una persona sumamente perceptiva y que sabe reflejar de forma excelente y amena sus opiniones acerca de ciudades, personas que a priori no te interesarían y artistas de los cuales te gustaría leerle críticas que ocupasen hojas y hojas. En definitiva, es un libro denso, plagado de conocimientos que vale la pena contrastar simultáneamente con audiciones de aquellas obras que menciona y critica. Yo he cometido el fallo de leerlo como si de una novela se tratase, pero es un crudo ensayo musical y humano.

[Víctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo mejor de este libro se encuentra en el relato de los encuentros y amistades de Stravinsky con otros compositores y artistas coetáneos, entre ellos su maestro Rimsky-Korsakov. Los comentarios sobre su propia obra se limita a menudo a lo puramente historiográfico, demasiadas fechas y lugares sobre composición y estrenos, se echa de menos más espacio para el análisis de su propia música y vivencias personales. Las preguntas planteadas por Robert Craft son un mera guía para los temas que desarrolla Stravinsky a lo largo de la obra. Interesante pero no apasionante.

[Reena]

it's ok... maybe the first book is better... sometimes stravinsky says these sort of petty things about other composers (like Glazunov) or chreographers (like Nijinsky), and on one hand it is amazing to see how these people interacted, and on another hand it is disappointing that his personality was not as transcendent as his music was.

[James Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stravinsky's conversations with his amanuensis, Robert Craft, are irresistibly fascinating. Ranging from literary lights to artists and musicians, the people and places discussed are a connoisseur's delight. This is an absolutely delightful journey into our cultured past through the mind of one of the musical geniuses of the twentieth century.

[Genessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. Stravinsky's ego doesn't interest me that much. I was hoping for more in depth discussion of his works, or stories about his contemporaries or what Europe and/or the USSR/Russia were like during his lifetime.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very similar to Stravinsky's autobiography I read a week or so ago. Would recommend reading this before reading his autobiography because, although they reference some points from it, it is much easier to read as it is written as a conversation. Very enjoyable read overall!

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

woah, igor. slow down dude! how many times do you need to revolutionize western music?