Igor Stravinsky / Chess

On this day in classical music: Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird” was given its premiere at the Paris Opera in 1910. Gabriel Pierné conducted the premiere which thrust the composer into the international spotlight. Based on Russian folk tales about a magical bird that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor, “The Firebird” marked the first collaboration between Stravinsky and Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. The work’s success led to the premieres of “Petrouchka” and “The Rite of Spring,” both of which featured the Ballets Russes. Today, “The Firebird” is frequently heard in the concert hall. Stravinsky created three suites from the ballet which date from 1911, 1919 and 1945. Here is some rare footage of the composer conducting the “Lullaby” and “Finale” from “The Firebird.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGA6bpscj8

 

On this day in the musical theatre: The musical “Chess,” which was inspired by the hugely popular British concept album that featured music by former ABBA members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice. The plot centered on two world champion chess masters, one American and one Russian. A woman who managed one player falls in love with the other, thus creating an awkward love triangle. Played out during the days of the Cold War between the United States and Russia, “Chess” was transformed into a British stage musical that ran for three years. A much revised version closed on Broadway following a brief run of 68 performances. The enormous popularity of the score has since prompted numerous revivals but no definitive script has resulted. The Broadway production marked the penultimate musical headed by David Carroll, one of the musical theater’s finest voices. Carroll went on to star as Baron von Gaigern in “Grand Hotel” but had contracted AIDS and died while recording the original cast album. Brent Barrett replaced him on the recording. “Chess” has since been mounted in Australia (1990), in a concert performance in Sweden (1994), on a Danish tour (2001) and in another concert version at London’s Royal Albert Hall (2008). The latter starred Josh Groban and Idina Menzel. Listen to Carroll sing the powerful “Anthem” from the Broadway production of “Chess.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhqud-xjAi4 

 

Musical musings: The legend of the Firebird is among the oldest in Slavic mythology. The ogre Kastchei, too, is often encountered in Russian folklore. But only in Fokine’s conception do we find the ornithological vision of loveliness coexisting with the malevolent monster. An enchanted feather and a villain’s soul reposing in an egg — any music that could make such notions theatrically viable has to be special. Stravinsky’s is. It has the romantic yearning, the sweet tenderness and the expressive power with which to make the wildest fantasy credible. And orchestrally, its iridescence is as blinding as the richest Rimsky rainbow. Make no mistake: “The Firebird” is a certified masterpiece. – James Lyons

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