Stravinsky’s Neoclassical period began with his fascination in composers such as Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. These composers actually used a very similar musical form to Stravinsky, it is just much more elaborately disguised. “The music of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern in the twenties was considered extremely iconoclastic at that time but these composers now appear to have used musical form as I did, ‘historically’…Take, for example, the Rondo of Webern’s Trio; the music is wonderfully interesting but no one hears it as a Rondo…”(Igor Stravinsky).
Stravinsky began his neoclassical compositional career with his ballet Pulcinella (1920), a work that wouldn't sound out of place in Stravinsky's Russian Period either. Pulcinella, a recomposed work that originally came from Pergolesi, is said to be one of the only pieces by Pergolesi that Stravinsky actually liked. Stravinsky's Pulcinella was also arranged into a much more performed suite version with a smaller Orchestration and no vocalists. Pulcinella is actually one of the few pieces by stravinsky that was well recieved at its premier.
Stravinsky began his neoclassical compositional career with his ballet Pulcinella (1920), a work that wouldn't sound out of place in Stravinsky's Russian Period either. Pulcinella, a recomposed work that originally came from Pergolesi, is said to be one of the only pieces by Pergolesi that Stravinsky actually liked. Stravinsky's Pulcinella was also arranged into a much more performed suite version with a smaller Orchestration and no vocalists. Pulcinella is actually one of the few pieces by stravinsky that was well recieved at its premier.
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10 years later, Stravinsky premiered his Symphony of Psalms(1930) in Brussels under the direction of Ernest Ansermet and the Societe Philharmonique de Bruxelle. Being also written in the same period as Pulcinella, Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms employs a totally different style and sound, a style that sounds as if it must be from a different period than Pulcinella. Despite its totally different sound, it is still obvious that this is Stravinsky to the ear. The articulation, attack, and quality of the melodic line always remain consistent with all of Stravinsky's music throughout career. This is even true for his later compositions in his Serial Period.