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Igor Stravinsky Archive

 Collection
Identifier: MS 753
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center. (vault)

Scope and Contents

The Igor Stravinsky Archive contains annotated proofs, autograph and copyist manuscripts, and associated material of the works of the revolutionary Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky. The majority of the proofs contain significant corrections, alterations, and annotations in Stravinsky’s hand, some of which include quite extensive autograph musical manuscript additions in the hand of the composer in addition to autograph textual notes. A number of the proofs are present in successive iterations, all evidencing important evolutionary stages in Stravinsky’s compositional process. Dates for the collection range from 1908 to 1974, with bulk dates from 1908 to 1938.

Dates

  • 1908 - 1974
  • Majority of material found within 1908 - 1938

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials are written in English, Russian, French, and Italian.

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish from this material must be facilitated through the Woodson Research Center.

Biographical / Historical

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky, 1882-1971, is one of the most influential and widely performed composers of the 20th century. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, the Russian imperial capital, his parents planned a career in law for their son, enrolling him in the University of St. Petersburg. After visiting with composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1902, Stravinsky began to spend more time in his private music studies. The death of his father and the actvities of the Revolution of 1905 moved Stravinsky to follow music rather than law. Over his career he moved fromRussia/Ukraine to Switzerland, France, and ultimately the United States.

Stravinsky's compositional career was notable for its stylistic diversity. He first achieved international fame with three ballets commissioned by the impresario Serge Diaghilev and first performed in Paris by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and The Rite of Spring (1913). The latter transformed the way in which subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure and was largely responsible for Stravinsky's enduring reputation as a musical revolutionary who pushed the boundaries of musical design.

Biographical / Historical

Sviatoslav Soulima Stravinsky, 1910-1994, was a Swiss-American pianist, composer and musicologist of Russian, Polish and Ukrainian descent, the third child of Igor Stravinsky. As a pianist, he was considered an important interpreter of the works of his father. In 1950 he was appointed to the piano faculty of the University of Illinois, where he served for 28 years. Stravinsky also maintained a solo concert career, and distinguished himself as a composer, transcriber, and editor, writing books on orchestration and the orchestra.

Extent

7 Linear Feet (12 boxes)

Additional Description

Overview

The Igor Stravinsky Archive contains annotated proofs, autograph and copyist manuscripts, and associated material of the works of the revolutionary Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky. The majority of the proofs contain significant corrections, alterations, and annotations in Stravinsky’s hand, some of which include quite extensive autograph musical manuscript additions in the hand of the composer in addition to autograph textual notes. A number of the proofs are present in successive iterations, all evidencing important evolutionary stages in Stravinsky’s compositional process. Dates for the collection range from 1908 to 1974, with bulk dates from 1908 to 1938.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Igor Stravinsky archive was acquired from the family of the composer's son, Soulima Stravinsky, in 2018.

Related Materials

An online version of the Kirchmeyer-Verzeichnis Annotated Catalog of Works and Work Editions of Igor Strawinsky (till 1971) created by Helmut Kirchmeyer can be found at: http://www.kcatalog.org/

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Igor Stravinsky Archive, 1908 - 1974
Status
Completed
Author
Dara Flinn
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892