Book Review
Nov. 28th, 2015 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariStravinsky: The Second Exile: France and America, 1934-1971
by Stephen Walsh
This second volume of Walsh's exhaustive Stravinsky biography covers the last half of the composer's life in great detail. This period covers the death of Stravinsky's first wife Katya, the tragic death of his daughter Mika, his move to America, Robert Craft's role in his life and work, and the sweeping stylistic changes of his later works. Walsh covers his subject very thoroughly and with great insight; he is unafraid to discuss Stravinsky's struggles and failings alongside his successes and accolades. All of this ably keeps Stravinsky: The Second Exile from becoming the somewhat boring and often monotonous litany of commissions, premieres, prizes, and appearances that the later parts of a successful composer's biography often are.
by Stephen Walsh
This second volume of Walsh's exhaustive Stravinsky biography covers the last half of the composer's life in great detail. This period covers the death of Stravinsky's first wife Katya, the tragic death of his daughter Mika, his move to America, Robert Craft's role in his life and work, and the sweeping stylistic changes of his later works. Walsh covers his subject very thoroughly and with great insight; he is unafraid to discuss Stravinsky's struggles and failings alongside his successes and accolades. All of this ably keeps Stravinsky: The Second Exile from becoming the somewhat boring and often monotonous litany of commissions, premieres, prizes, and appearances that the later parts of a successful composer's biography often are.
