Abstract
"Stravinsky in Context offers an alternative to chronological biography. Thirty-five short, specially commissioned essays explore the eventful lifetapestry from which Stravinsky's compositions emerged. The opening chapters draw on new research into the composer's upbringing in St Petersburg. Stravinsky's early, often traumatic family experience is examined in depth, particularly in the context of his brother Roman's death and religious sensibilities within the family. Further essays consider the composer's many years in exile at the centre of dynamic and constantly-evolving cultural environments, Stravinsky forever refining his idiom and redefining his aesthetics against a backdrop of world events and personal tragedy. The closing chapters review new material regarding Stravinsky's complicated relationship with the Soviet Union, whilst also anticipating his legacy from the varied perspectives of publishing, research and even, in the iconic example of The Rite of Spring, space exploration. The book includes previously unpublished images of the composer and his family"-- Provided by publisher.