An Autobiography by Igor Stravinsky

I picked up this book in the textbook section of the BYU bookstore about a year ago, thinking that it looked very interesting. It was.

This book was a difficult read, more because of my own lack than the writer's. His vocabulary was extensive, and there were several words I should have just stopped and looked up. As it was, many of them I was able to understand from context (how's that for reaching back into the past?). That is mostly what limited my enjoyment of the book.

Stravinsky has not written a typical life story, but rather the story of his music's life. It was written in the mid-1930's, when he was about 50 years old. He lived another 40 or so years, so this was a mid-life reflection. It was fascinating to read his theories and strong opinions on music and music appreciation and performance. I think I'd like to check out some of his works at the library and give them a listen after having read the history behind the writing and performing of them.

A couple of side notes:
1. I am always fascinated at how famous people know and associate with so many other famous people. Does that mean that if I became famous, my friends and family would also become famous? In reality, the more apt question would be when my friends or family become famous, then would I also become famous?
2. I have come to the conclusion that most people of genius, or most driven people do not have much of a family life. Although this book is not about his family (there are three very brief facts about his family - he married, he had 4 children, and there is one sentence at the end of the book about one of his sons performing one of his compositions), his description of his life tells us that he did not spend much time at home. He travelled and worked on his compositions extensively.

Good book. Not recommended for the faint of vocabulary.