Igor Stravinsky died in New York City 50 years ago today.
As per his wishes, he was buried in the Russian corner of the cemetery island of San Michele in Venice, transported there by gondola, following a service at the Basilica di Santi Giovanni e Paolo.
His late, serial masterwork, “Requiem Canticles,” was performed at his funeral. Stravinsky described the 15-minute, six-movement piece, which is sung in Latin, as his “pocket requiem.” It was given its debut at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre in 1966, with the composer conducting.
The event left a lasting impression. If you’re interested in some first-hand accounts, you can learn more in this article I wrote in 2016, to mark the work’s 50th anniversary, for the Trenton Times.
Robert Craft’s recording of “Requiem Canticles”:
Leonard Bernstein conducts a Stravinsky memorial concert, including “The Rite of Spring,” “Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra,” and “Symphony of Psalms,” in April of 1972.
Gone but not forgotten: Stravinsky and his assistant, Robert Craft, in 1964