Le roi des étoiles
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Le roi des étoiles is a chorale work by Igor Stravinsky, written for men's chorus in 1912. The composition is an arrangement of Konstantine Balmont's poem Zvezdolikii, the title of which is sometimes translated to English as "Star-face". The more common translation, however, is "The King of the Stars".
Stravinsky began writing the piece in 1911, at a time when he was strongly influenced by the music of Alexander Scriabin and Claude Debussy. The harmonic language of both composers is reflected in the piece. Some have argued that its absence of a tonal centre lends it an otherworldly quality.
Stravinsky dedicated the Le roi des étoiles to Claude Debussy, who praised the work in a 1913 letter to the composer. Though describing it as "extraordinary", Debussy doubted that it would soon find an audience.[1] He was correct: Le roi des étoiles was not performed in public until 1939.
[edit] Selected recordings
- Pierre Boulez conducting the Orchestre National and Choeur de la Radio-Television Francaise (released on the Disques Montaigne label in 1987 as part of the album, Pierre Boulez Dirige 1963 and 1966 Concerts)
- Pierre Boulez conducting the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Chorus (released on the Deutsche Grammophon label in 2001, with Scherzo fantastique, The Song of the Nightingale and L'histoire du soldat)
