Comparing Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring And The Firebird

Share the Music The twentieth century, was an exciting time for music. The traditional rules from the Classical and Romantic eras were being challenged and new ones were being created. This allowed composers to develop new styles, sounds, and genres. One of these composers was Igor Stravinsky, who challenged the norms with his “experimental and often controversial style” (Hanson 165). Due to this, Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” and “The Firebird” will be compared for this week’s assignment. All comparisons will be based off the piece’s melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, timbre, and form. The first piece of Stravinsky’s work that will be examined is “The Firebird” being performed by the YouTube Symphony Orchestra in 2011. This performance can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd1xYKGnOEw. This piece begins with a deep melody of woodwinds that seems to just set the base of the introduction for the other instruments in the orchestra to build upon. At about one minute into this performance the texture of the piece changes with sharp notes that seem to let you know that the piece is about to change (YouTube Symphony Orchestra).
After this change, the timbre of the piece takes a lighter tone and the melody gives the listener an impression that something important
This performance can be seen here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFPjFjUonX8. This piece begins with a soft soothing melody accompanied by simple rhythms. After a brief, period the timber of the piece takes a darker approach and the tempo increases. This can best be heard at 03:49 minutes into the piece (Cmaj7). The harmonies used in this piece help set the story and give the listener a understanding of how the story unfolds. At 06:00 minutes into the piece the tempo of the piece picks up leading to a shift in its dynamics and timber creating a lighter aspect of the piece