close
 

Classical archive

Don't be caught "Stravinsky deficient" as the big centennial of his Rite of Spring approaches.

Watch The Cocktail Party Guide To Igor Stravinsky

Get a crash course in Stravinsky as the 100th anniversary of his iconic Rite of Spring approaches.

Cartoon by Pablo Helguera.

Read Sidney Insists On Stokowski's Stravinsky

Fridays are funner with a classical cartoon at noon from Deceptive Cadence.

After his shocking ballet, The Rite of Spring, Igor Stravinsky branched out in surprising directions.

Listen Igor Stravinsky's 'Rite Of Spring' Counterrevolution

The composer's broad range of styles ushered in trends far from the violence of his iconic ballet.

ListenPlaylist

Elementary school students in Maplewood, N.J. prepare to enact their own Rite.

Watch Where's Your Awesome 'Rite Of Spring' Video?

May 23, 2013 – We've gotten some really great, funny and creative entries so far — and we need yours by May 28.

It's fun to stay at the ИМКА: Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring triggered an uproar at its world premiere in Paris a century ago. Now we're asking you to help celebrate the centennial by creating a dance of your own.

Watch Come Dance The 'Rite Of Spring' With Us!

May 23, 2013 – We're inviting you to create your own video using the last minute of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

Imani Winds performs a Tiny Desk Concert in February 2013.

Watch Imani Winds: Tiny Desk Concert

May 23, 2013 – Imani Winds' members shrink Igor Stravinsky down to size in a quintet take on The Rite of Spring.

Henri Dutilleux, a leading French composer and unique voice in new music, has died at age 97.

Watch Henri Dutilleux, Leading French Composer, Dies At 97

May 22, 2013 – The composer will be remembered for a small quantity of perfectly realized, richly textured works.

Jherek Bischoff in his home studio.

Watch Jherek Bischoff: The Composer Who Lived On The Ocean Q2

May 22, 2013 – Take a tour of the young composer's childhood home: a tiny sailboat docked in a Seattle harbor. Q2

Composer Nico Muhly at the piano in a live performance at LPR on May 14, 2013.

Watch An Evening With Nico Muhly, 'Two Boys' And Other Works Q2

May 22, 2013 – Watch a special performance previewing Muhly's exciting, intrigue-filled opera Two Boys. Q2

ListenPlaylist

The Valkyries, led by Brunnhilde (soprano Debra Voigt, lower left), are the warrior maidens of Richard Wagner's epic Ring cycle.

Listen Gods And Monsters: 5 Unforgettable Wagner Moments

May 21, 2013 – For the bicentennial of the composer's birth, author William Berger picks his favorite Wagner.

ListenPlaylist

"I've thought to myself often listening to some classical works: 'I think I want to make a couple million dollars and turn that into a pop song,'" Joshua Bell (right) says, laughing. "There's a lot of untapped potential there."

Listen Joshua Bell And Jeremy Denk On 'Song Travels'

May 17, 2013 – Connect the dots between classical music and standards with the dynamic violin-and-piano duo.

ListenPlaylist

Cartoon by Pablo Helguera.

Read Polly Want An Ostinato?

May 17, 2013 – Fridays are funnier with a classical cartoon at noon from Deceptive Cadence.

Watch Andris Nelsons Named Music Director Of The Boston Symphony

May 16, 2013 – The announcement puts an end to years of uncertainty at the storied orchestra.

Leonard Slatkin leads the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Spring for Music festival at Carnegie Hall.

Listen Spring For Music: Detroit Symphony Orchestra At Carnegie Hall WQXR

May 13, 2013 – Leonard Slatkin leads music by Ravel and Rachmaninov, composers who straddled the 20th century. WQXR

ListenPlaylist

Conductor Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra gave the final performance in this year's Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall on May 11, 2013. The program was of all 20th-century Russian music: Shchedrin's Slava, Slava; Schnittke's Viola Concerto; and Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony.

Listen Spring For Music: National Symphony Orchestra At Carnegie Hall WQXR

May 11, 2013 – Hear 20th-century Russian music paying tribute to the NSO's late director, Mstislav Rostropovich. WQXR

ListenPlaylist

NPR thanks our sponsors

Become an NPR Sponsor