As perhaps the most influential composer of the twentieth century, Igor Stravinsky lived much of his long life on the public stage. But behind that public face was a very private man.
Written by the composer’s eldest son Théodore, and Théodore’s wife Denise, these intimate memoirs take us to the very heart of the Stravinsky family home in the years leading up to the Second World War.
In the first part of the book, Théodore Stravinsky remembers his childhood in the numerous homes the Stravinsky family created for themselves via their travels from Russia to the Ukraine, to Switzerland and to France. In the second part Denise Stravinsky takes up the story recalling tales of family joys and anguish, the excitements and strains of living with a genius and the tragedies brought on by the war. It presents a portrait of Catherine Stravinsky, the devoted wife and mother.
This fascinating chronicle provides a privileged insight into the home behind the public triumphs of one of the undisputed geniuses of modern music.
