By his use of imaginative orchestral colours Stravinsky makes the story of the Firebird come alive. Discuss this view of Stravinsky's use of the orchestra referring to suitable passages in the score, using the first five movements of the work.

As soon as we enter into the prelude and dance of the Firebird the country motion semi-quavers in the woodwind at figure 7 illustrates Ivan's pursuit of the Firebird. This is actually the original leitmotif returning retrograde and retrograde inverted. Stravinsky uses many chromatic, arpeggiac augmented 4th patterns, and light orchestration this adds to the effect of Ivan struggling to catch the Firebird. The bars silence leaves the audience in suspense wondering whether or not Ivan has managed to catch the Firebird, before a certain elegance added in the variations which has a waltz like lilt to it. The high register, quick rhythms and simple harmony represent good magic and has an uplifting feeling to it. The imagery is quite clear of a bird teasing Ivan mocking him as he can't quite catch her. In bar 3, the tonality becomes less clear, and a whole tone scale is used, this is yet another of Stravinsky's traits, he pushed these boundaries where other great composers were scared to use it. Stravinsky uses the piccolo to represent the Firebird taking to flight; this can be seen in 2 bars before figure 11. During the coda there is a feeling of speeding up without actually doing so. The flurry of descending triplet semi-quavers could represent the Firebird falling slowly down, into Ivan's clutch.

Stravinsky's use of orchestra shows that Ivan finally manages to catch her in the pantomime. (Pantomime used in the traditional sense, miming). The hand stopped horns in figure 20 represents Ivan actually capturing the Firebird, there is a first inversion augmented 6th and tritones heard three times during figure 20 this is the firebird trying to escape from Ivan's tight clutch. We hear once again the original leitmotif in semi-quavers, retrograde inverted and simply retrograde. Figure 21, the solo flute plays the inverted leitmotif, symbolizing the Firebird flapping her wings and unhappiness of being caught.

In the pas de deux the harmony tends to be conventional and very Debussyesque. The chromatic arabesque played by the oboe in bar 2 is very oriental using diminished and augmented 4ths which occurs again two bars after figure 32, this could be interpreted as the firebird pleading for her release. This is repeated again at figure 26 and a semi-tone higher at 27; however it is transposed up a tritone at figure 28. At figure 30 it is more thickly orchestrated than at 22 portraying the Firebirds argument. The tritone appears once again, the strings play it descending and the trumpets play it retrograde in the second pantomime where the Firebird flies off without her magic feather. During figure 35, it is clear to the listener that there is an entrance of humans as the music becomes diatonic and more tonal, this is the entrance of the enchanted princesses this is the transition between the dance for two and the official entrance of the thirteen princesses. The scherzo in which they enter is a humorous dance it is entitled "game with the golden apples", which becomes obvious to the listener as soon as it opens, it is almost like Stravinsky word paints with the orchestra, e.g. the opening ascending demi-semi-quavers in the flute embodies an amusing anecdote and the contrapuntal melodies in the strings at figure 39 gives the impression of many voices talking or shouting at once, which would happen in a game. The ornamentation is emphasised along with the tonality, representing humans and possibly giving the impression of dainty feet running around the trees in Kashchei's garden. Chromaticism is another recurring theme within this work; this seems to represent fast movements or magic, shown at figure 41, which relates closely to the story. Figure 55 is much like 39 with the original bass line transposed. The delicate harmony and simple chord progressions represents how delicate the princesses are. The peaceful and simple solo in the clarinet at figure 47 is not at all related to the leitmotif but is very similar to a Russian folk tune, which chromatically modifies during the scherzo this may symbolize a dream.

Charlotte Wallace 13BL