Stravinsky’s Symphony in C
Notes by TŌN flutist Youbeen Cho
When most people hear the name Igor Stravinsky, they immediately think of the “wild” composer who started a literal riot with The Rite of Spring. It’s a famous image—this avant-garde rebel shaking up the classical world with primitive, explosive rhythms. But when I looked closer at his long, 88-year life, I realized he was more of a musical chameleon. He didn’t just stay in one lane; he experimented with everything from jazz to the 12-tone technique. His music seemed to shift just as much as the unstable world around him did.
The Symphony in C is a perfect example of this, and it was written during what was probably the most miserable time of his life. Between 1938 and 1939, Stravinsky lost his wife, his daughter, and his mother, all to illness. On top of that personal tragedy, he had to flee Europe for America because of World War II. It’s hard for me to even imagine staying creative under that kind of pressure, but Stravinsky showed incredible tenacity.
What’s interesting is that instead of writing something dark or messy to match his grief, he did the exact opposite: he went looking for “order”. This symphony is a landmark of Neoclassicism. At the time, some listeners felt this sudden change was a “betrayal” of his radical roots, but I see it differently. He went back to the basics, using a traditional four-movement structure and a very clear sonata form. It’s almost as if he was using the “bones” of the past to hold his own life together. Even his choice to anchor the work around the note C—the most fundamental reference point in music—at a time when his world was in total chaos feels like a very deliberate, brave choice.
Even though the structure feels Classical, those sharp rhythms and unique harmonies are still purely Stravinsky. It shows that even when his style shifted on the surface, his core identity as a composer stayed the same. To me, this symphony isn’t just about old techniques; it’s a personal “portrait” of survival. It’s the sound of someone starting over in a new country, choosing discipline over giving up.