Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) was born in Russia near Saint Petersburg, which was then the capital. He was a lonely boy who studied piano and attempted to write musical compositions. Around age 8, he saw Tchaikovsky's ballet, "The Sleeping Beauty." Although he continued to evolve as a musician, his parents expected him to study law.

    He was a poor student, and attended few classes. More inspiring was his stay with Russia's leading composer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and his family in Heidelberg, Germany, during the summer of 1902. Rimsky-Korsakov encouraged him to take private music lessons, and he did so after the death of his father.

    After his marriage at age 24, his works began to be performed publicly, and one impresario commissioned a work, "The Firebird," to be performed in Paris. That premiere made Stravinsky an overnight success.

    The family settled in Europe, moving back and forth between Switzerland and France, and became French citizens in 1934. After his wife died, he was asked to give lectures in the United States. His lover of many years followed, and they were married. He became a U.S. citizen in 1945.

    If you want to relax, don't listen to Stravinsky! Much of his music uses clashing notes and jangling rhythms, notably "The Rites of Spring." Legend says that fistfights broke out at the 1913 premiere, causing a riot in the theater. Ten years later, it was still controversial. A critic wrote in 1923, "All the signs indicate a strong reaction against the nightmare of noise and eccentricity that was one of the legacies of the [First World] war.... What (for example) has become of the works that made up the program of the Stravinsky concert which created such a stir a few years ago? Practically the whole lot are already on the shelf..."

    On the other hand, Stravinsky's music ranges over a number of styles, and was a major influence on composers to follow, setting standards for 20th-century classical music.

    Vocabulary: Which word above means:

    1. sudden, occurring within a short time

    2. making a harsh, discordant sound

    3. indicates an outstanding example

    4. moves over a wide area

    5. person who organizes concerts, plays, etc.

    6. hitting against

    7. violent disorder among a crowd of people

    8. requested, and paid for

    9. strangeness, behavior outside of normal

    10. fights in which people punch each other in the face

    ANSWERS: 1. overnight 2. jangling 3. notably 4. ranges 5. impresario 6. clashing 7. riot 8. commissioned 9. eccentricity 10. fistfights