Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor known for being one of the most important and influential figures in twentieth-century classical music. His unique approach to rhythm, instrumentation, and tonality made him a pivotal figure in modernist music.
Stravinsky studied composition under composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov from 1902 to 1908, Stravinsky's Feu d'artifice being his last piece composed under Rimsky-Korsakov. During this time, Stravinsky completed his first full composition, the Symphony in E major, catalogued Op. 1. Attending the premiere of Stravinsky's Scherzo fantastique and Feu d'artifice in 1909 was the Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev, owner of the Ballets Russes ballet company. Diaghilev was impressed enough that he commissioned Stravinsky to write some arrangements for the 1909 ballet season. In the following years, Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to write three ballets: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913). These ballets remain Stravinsky's most famous works today.
Stravinsky's music is typically divided into three style periods: the Russian period (c. 1907–1919), the neoclassical period (c. 1920–1954), and the serial period (1954–1968). Stravinsky's Russian period is characterized by the use of Russian folk tunes and the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, and Taneyev. His neoclassical period reflected back to the techniques and themes of the Classical period, like his use of the sonata form in the first movement of his Octet (1923) and the Greek mythological themes in Apollo (1928), Perséphone (1933), and Orpheus (1947). His serial period began with using Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique dodecaphony in Agon (1954–57), later experimenting with non-twelve-tone techniques in his Cantata (1952) and Septet (1953).
List organization This list is sorted by numbers assigned to Stravinsky's works in Helmut Kirchmeyer's K Catalog. The Kirchmeyer-Verzeichnis (shortened as "K") Catalog is an annotated catalog of works by Stravinsky, started in the 1950s originally placed in appendixes of other works about Stravinsky. The first edition of the catalog was published in 2002. The Kirchmayer catalogue and Köchel catalogue of W.A. Mozart's works both use "K" as an abbreviation; the difference is that Köchel uses a K followed by a period then space (e.g. K. 492) while Kirchmeyer uses no period and no space (e.g. K013). Additionally, works marked with "KN" (e.g. KN01) were added after the publishing of the first edition. The opus numbers are according to what Stravinsky marked on the music. The works are named according to the K Catalog. Other sources may have different titles due to Cyrillic romanization conventions.
This list contains the following information in column order from left to right: K Catalog number, opus number, name of the composition, year the composition was finished, genre, notes, and references.
Compositions by Igor Stravinsky
K OpusNameYearGenreKN01 –Tarantella1898Piano KN03–The Storm Cloud1902Vocal KN02–ScherzoPiano K001–Piano Sonata in F minor1904Piano KN04–Cantata for Rimsky-Korsakov's Sixtieth Birthday1904Choral KN05–The Mushrooms Going to War1904Vocal K003Op. 1Symphony in E (original version)1905Orchestral KN06–The Driver and the Tarantula 1906Vocal K002Op. 2Faun and Shepherdess1906Vocal K006–Pastorale (original version)1907Vocal K006–Pastorale (arranged for soprano, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet and bassoon)1923Vocal K006–Pastorale (arranged for violin, oboe, English horn, clarinet and bassoon)1933Chamber K006–Pastorale (arranged for violin and piano)1933Chamber K004Op. 6Two Melodies1908Vocal K005Op. 3Scherzo fantastique1908Orchestral K007Op. 4Feu d'artifice1908Orchestral K008Op. 5Funeral Dirge1908Orchestral K009Op. 7Four Studies1908Piano K010Op. 8The Firebird1910Ballet K010–The Firebird, Suite No. 11911Orchestral K010–The Firebird, Suite No. 21919Orchestral K010–The Firebird, Suite No. 31945Orchestral K011Op. 9Two Poems by Paul Verlaine1910Vocal K011–Two Poems by Paul Verlaine (arranged for orchestra)1951Orchestral K012–Petrushka1911BalletK012–Petrushka (cartoon suite)1956Orchestral K012–Trois mouvements de Pétrouchka1921Piano K013–Two Poems of Balmont1911Vocal K013–Two Poems of Balmont (arranged for voice and chamber orchestra)1954Vocal K014–The Star-Faced One1912Choral K015–The Rite of Spring1913Ballet K016–Three Japanese Lyrics1913Vocal K017–Three Little Songs from the Recollections of my Childhood1913Vocal K017–Three Little Songs from the Recollections of my Childhood (arranged for voice and small orchestra)1930Vocal K018–The Nightingale1914Opera K026–Song of the Nightingale1917Orchestral K019–Three Pieces for String Quartet1914Chamber K020–Pribaoutki1914Vocal KN12–Valse des Fleurs1914Piano K021–Three Easy Pieces1915Piano KN14–Souvenir d'une marche boche1915Piano K022–Cats Cradle Songs1916Vocal K023–Reynard1916Opera/Ballet K024–Three Tales for Children1917Vocal K025–Five Easy Pieces1917PianoKN16–A Waltz for Children1917Piano K027–Study for pianola1917Pianola K028 –Four Russian Peasant Songs1917Choral KN17 –Canon1917Chamber K040 –Les Noces1914–1917Ballet K097 –Berceuse1917Vocal KN19 –Lied ohne Name (Duet for Two Bassoons)1918Chamber K029 –Histoire du soldat1918Opera K029 –Suite from Histoire du soldat, for violin, clarinet, and piano1919Chamber K030 –Ragtime for 11 Instruments1918Chamber K031 –Quatre chants russes1919Vocal K032 –Piano-Rag-Music1919Piano K033 –Three Pieces for Clarinet1919Chamber K034 –Pulcinella1920Ballet K035 –Concertino for string quartet1920Chamber K036 –Symphonies of Wind Instruments1920Band K038–Suite No. 21921Orchestral K037 –Les cinq doigts1921Piano K039 –Mavra1922Opera K041 –Octet1923Chamber K042 –Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments1924Concertante K043 –Piano Sonata1924Piano K044 –Serenade in A1925Piano K046 –Pater Noster1926Choral K047 –Oedipus rex1927Opera K048 –Apollo1928Ballet K049 –Le Baiser de la fée1928Ballet K049 –Divertimento (Suite from Le Baiser de la fée)1934Orchestral K050 –Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra1929Concertante K051–Four Studies1928Orchestral K052 –Symphony of Psalms1930Choral K053 –Violin Concerto in D1931Concertante K054 –Duo Concertant1932Chamber K055 –Credo1932Choral K056 –Perséphone1933Opera K057 –Ave Maria1934Choral K058 –Concerto for Two Pianos1935Chamber K059 –Jeu de cartes1936Ballet K082 –Preludium1937Band KN24 –Petit ramusianum harmonique1937Vocal K060 –Concerto in E Dumbarton Oaks1938ConcertanteK061–Symphony in C1940Orchestral K062 –Tango1940Piano K063 –Danses concertantes1942Ballet K064 –Circus Polka1942Piano K065 –Four Norwegian Moods1942Orchestral K066 –Ode1943Orchestral K068 –Babel1944Choral K070 –Scherzo à la russe1944Band K069 –Scènes de ballet1944Ballet K067 –Sonata for Two Pianos1944Piano K072 –Elegy1944Chamber K073 –Symphony in Three Movements1945Orchestral K074 –Ebony Concerto1945Concertante K075 –Concerto in D1946Concertante K071 –Little Canon1947Chamber K076 –Orpheus1947Ballet K077 –Mass1948Choral K078 –The Rake's Progress1951Opera K079 –Cantata1952Choral K080 –Septet1953Chamber K081 –Three Songs from William Shakespeare1953Vocal K084 –In Memoriam Dylan Thomas1954Vocal K085 –Greeting Prelude1955Orchestral K086 –Canticum Sacrum1955Choral K088 –Agon1957Ballet K089 –Threni1958Choral K091 –Movements1959Concertante K090 –Epitaphium1959Chamber K092 –Double Canon Raoul Dufy In Memoriam1959Chamber K095 –A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer1961Choral K096 –Anthem (The Dove Descending Breaks the Air)1962Choral K098 –The Flood1963Opera K101 –Abraham and Isaac1963Vocal K100 –Elegy for J.F.K.1964Vocal K102 –Fanfare for a New Theatre1964Chamber K103 –Variations1964Orchestral K104 –Introitus (T. S. Eliot in Memoriam)1965Choral K106 –Requiem Canticles1966Choral K107 –The Owl and the Pussy Cat1966Vocal
By type of composition
Opera/theatre The Nightingale (Le Rossignol), 3-act opera (1914) Renard, a burlesque for 4 pantomimes and chamber orchestra (1916) L'Histoire du soldat (The Soldier's Tale), for chamber ensemble and three speakers (1918) Mavra, one-act opera (1922) Oedipus rex, 2-act opera-oratorio (1927) Perséphone, mélodrame for speaker, soloists, chorus and orchestra (1933) The Rake's Progress, 3-act opera (1951) The Flood, television opera (1962)
Ballet The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu) (1910; rev. 1919, 1945) Petrushka (1911, rev. 1947) The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps) (1913; rev. 1947, 1967) Les Noces (The Wedding), for soloists, choir, four pianos and percussion (1914–17 and 1919–23) Pulcinella, for chamber orchestra and soloists (1920) Apollo (Apollon musagète), for string orchestra (1928; rev. 1947) Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy's Kiss) (1928; rev. 1950) Jeu de cartes (Card Game) (1936) Circus Polka (1942) Scènes de ballet (1944) Orpheus, for chamber orchestra (1947) Agon (1957)
Orchestral Symphony in E major, Op. 1 (1907) Scherzo fantastique, Op. 3 (1908) Feu d'artifice (Fireworks), Op. 4 (1908) Funeral Song (Погребальная песня; Chant funèbre), Op. 5 (1908); composed to commemorate the death of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; premiered 17 January 1909 in the Grand Hall of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory; lost until September 2015. Le chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale) (1917) Suite from Pulcinella (1920; rev. 1947) Suite No. 2 for chamber orchestra (1921, arrangement of Trois pièces faciles and Cinq pièces faciles No. 5) Suite No. 1 for chamber orchestra (1925, arrangement of Cinq pièces faciles Nos. 1–4) Quatre études, for orchestra (1928, arrangement of Three Pieces for String Quartet and Étude pour pianola) Divertimento (Suite from Le Baiser de la fée, 1934) Preludium for Jazz Ensemble (1936/37) Concerto in E Dumbarton Oaks, for chamber orchestra (1938) Symphony in C (1940) Danses concertantes for chamber orchestra (1941–42) Four Norwegian Moods (1942) Ode (1943) Scherzo à la russe for orchestra (1944, also a version for Paul Whiteman's band) Circus Polka (1944) Symphony in Three Movements (1945) Concerto in D "Basle", for string orchestra (1946) Tango for chamber orchestra (1953, arrangement of 1940 work for piano) Greeting Prelude for orchestra (1955), for the 80th birthday of Pierre Monteux 8 Instrumental Miniatures for 15 Players (1963, orchestration of Les cinq doigts) Variations (Aldous Huxley in Memoriam) (1963/1964) Canon on a Popular Russian Tune (1965)
Concertante Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments (1923–24, rev. 1950) Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1929/1949) Violin Concerto in D (1931) Movements for Piano and Orchestra (1958/1959)
Choral Cantata for Rimsky-Korsakov's Sixtieth Birthday, for chorus and piano (1904). Unpublished. Performed once on 19 March 1904 at Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's apartment in St. Petersburg and subsequently lost. Zvezdoliki (Le roi des étoiles) (The King of the Stars), for men's choir and orchestra (1912) Four Russian Peasant Songs, for female voice unaccompanied (1917) Pater Noster (Otche Nash) for chorus a cappella (1926, rev. 1949) Symphony of Psalms, for chorus and orchestra (1930, rev. 1948) Credo (Veruyu) for chorus a cappella (1932, rev. 1964) Ave Maria (Bogoroditse Dyevo) for chorus a cappella (1934, rev. 1949) Babel (1944) Mass, for chorus and double wind quintet (1944–48) Cantata, for mezzo-soprano, tenor, female chorus, 2 flutes, oboe, English horn, and cello (1951–52) Canticum Sacrum, for tenor, baritone, chorus, and orchestra (1955) Threni, for six soloists, chorus, and orchestra (1958) A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer for alto, tenor, speaker, chorus, and orchestra (1961) Anthem (The dove descending breaks the air), for chorus a cappella (1962) Introitus, for men's chorus and chamber ensemble (1965) Requiem Canticles, for bass, contralto, chorus, and orchestra (1966)
Vocal Le Nuage (Туча; Storm-Cloud), for voice and piano (1902) The Mushrooms Going to War, for voice (bass) and piano (1904) Conductor and Tarantula, for voice and piano (1906) Lost.