The Critic Magazine

Myth of Igor, the Great Composer

IGOR STRAVINSKY cast such a huge shadow over the cultural estate that when he died, 50 years ago this month, his publisher said that music would be as art was after Michelangelo. We can now confirm that he was right. In half a century, no composer has attained the fame and stature of Stravinsky, none has dined with ease at the Elysée and the White House. Stravinsky was the last of the Great Composers. Once he was gone, they locked the canon and threw away the key.

Before you contest that proposition, let’s raise

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Critic Magazine

The Critic Magazine4 min read
The Final Lap
THE SAN MARINO GRAND PRIX, 1994. THIRTY years ago this May Day. AYRTON SENNA sits on the start line and removes his helmet, which he never usually does. “The helmet hides feelings which cannot be understood,” he once said. Today, he doesn’t bother to
The Critic Magazine3 min read
Fighting Lies With Lies
PROPAGANDA AND DISINFORMATION AREamong the biggest threats facing liberal democracies today. The internet’s promise to democratise information, while partly fulfilled, has further polarised societies by nurturing ignorance and feeding conspiracy theo
The Critic Magazine4 min read
Robert Thicknesse on Opera
YOU KNOW THE STORY, BUT HERE’S a reminder: SCOTTISH WEDDING — THREE DEAD. If any operatic image can elbow out the chesty soprano snuffing it on the bed, it’s got to be the wild-eyed bride of Lammermoor in her blood-spattered wedding dress: little Luc

Related Books & Audiobooks