Firebird: Music and Igor Stravinsky

“The Firebird”, is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The ballet is based on Russian folk tales of the magical glowing bird of the same name that is both a blessing and a curse to its captor. This ballot was first performed on the 25th of June in 1910. The Firebird was Igor Stravinsky’s first project. Igor Stravinsky who composed the final excerpt of the ballot “The Firebird” uses repetition, using one melody, forming diversity and distinction through alterations in dynamics, tone color, and rhythm. Stravinsky’s uses dynamics in this melody by the loudness and softness that is being played. A dynamic change can made suddenly or even gradually. When it increases in loudness, it creates enthusiasm, especially when the pitches becomes to increase. To keep the melody from sounding repetitive, Stravinsky uses timbre, or tone color, to distinguish each instrument that is being played.

When the tone color changes it can create variety and contrast. The same melody will have different communicative sound effects when played by one instrument and then another. Stravinsky gets the orchestra to be forte, meaning loud, and piano, meaning soft by using crescendo and decrescendo. He uses piano (p) and forte (f) to make the melody more vibrant to hear, and to distinguish each tone that is expected to be heard. The second scene begins softly but gradually increases as the music grows louder, more instruments start to play, as the melody is being played, it is played in higher pitches. After this slow build-up to this climax, which is the focus point of the melody, it suddenly becomes quiet as the instruments stop playing, except for the strings. As it comes to an end, there’s a quick crescendo, it then leads to a brilliant conclusion.