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- Stravinsky, Igor
Duration: 16 minutes
Description: Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) composed his SCHERZO FANTASTIQUE, Op. 3 (K.005), in 1908, one of his earliest orchestral works and a vivid example of his emerging style before his collaborations with Diaghilev and the “Ballets Russes”. Written while he was still a pupil of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the piece shows the influence of his teacher’s brilliant orchestration and flair for color. Subtitled LE VOL DE L’ABEILLE (THE FLIGHT OF THE BEE), the Scherzo fantastique was inspired by Maurice Maeterlinck’s allegorical essay “La Vie des abeilles” (“The Life of Bees”), depicting the bustling energy and hypnotic rhythm of a beehive rather than a literal flight. Premiered in St. Petersburg on February 6, 1909, under Alexander Siloti, the work dazzled listeners with its shimmering textures, pulsing rhythms, and kaleidoscopic orchestral effects. Although overshadowed by Stravinsky’s later ballets such as THE FIREBIRD and PETRUSHKA, the SCHERZO FANTASTIQUE remains a fascinating glimpse of his early imagination that already hints at the vitality and invention that would soon redefine twentieth-century orchestral music. Instrumentation: 3(2nd d. AFl, 3rd. d. Picc)+Picc.2+EH.3(3rd d. DCl)+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.2+AltTpt.0.0: Perc(1): 3Hp.Clst: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.