Altissimo! Recordings - MilitaryMusic.com - Stravinsky

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Stravinsky - Strauss (Digital Only) - USAF Air Combat Command Heritage of America Band

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Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949) may not have realized the full effect they would each have on the musical world when they composed their brilliant but controversial pieces. Stravinsky's most well-known piece, The Rite of Spring, had a huge impact on the musical world. Rarely has any single composition changed the course of musical direction as completely or as dramatically as this piece. When premiered on May 29, 1913 at the new Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris by the Ballet Russe, the audience was astonished by this new ballet and shocked by the primitive rhythms and jarring tonalities. While it proved too radical for immediate acceptance, it soon became a landmark in twentieth century music and dance, taking a firm place in the repertoire. It has since become the most often performed virtuosic display piece for great orchestra.

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) is a giant among composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His music, a cornerstone of orchestral, operatic and vocal repertoire, has assured him a position of greatness in music history. Strauss' greatest efforts are showcased in this collection. Very few works in music history equal the portrayal of exotic sensuality in Salome's Dance. The "Four Last Songs," published posthumously, rank among the world's greatest examples of introspective poignancy. Two of the songs performed here, "Beim Schlafengehn" and "Im Abendrot," culminate his life's work with the question, "Can this perhaps be death?" Don Juan, Strauss' first full-fledged tone poem, was so successful that he was hailed as "the most significant and progressive German composer" since Wagner. This album features some of their jarring pieces that influenced and changed music for the better, and cemented each of them a place in history. Don't miss out on this great pairing of two significant composers!

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