Only a name, two dates and a small cross, of pure gold

from the little I know, in Venice a long-time collaborator of his is buried and he also had himself buried there; in any case, in the last period he was often in Venice, I believe he is still in Venice yes

Salomon wrote:

I read from a text I have just acquired:

"For obvious emotional reasons – but also diplomatic ones! – the composer is buried in Venice on the island of San Michele. On Igor Stravinsky's tomb, only a name, two dates, and a small cross, of pure gold."

So many obscure things to me:

- obvious emotional reasons?

- but also diplomatic ones!?

- Is Stravinsky still in Venice?

- "only a name, two dates, and a small cross, of pure gold"... to say what?

Stravinsky died in New York on April 6, 1971, and was then buried on the island of San Michele in Venice by his express wish, near the tomb of Diaghilev (organizer of the Ballets Russes who died in Venice on August 19, 1929) for whom he had written much of his music.

Stravinsky was very attached to the city of Venice, where he stayed often.

In Venice he wrote The Rake's Progress which debuted at La Fenice on September 11, 1951, and St. Mark's Basilica hosted the first performance of "Canticum sacrum ad honorem Sancti Marci nominis", just to mention two works.

It does not seem to me that there were diplomatic reasons, but only the desire to be close to his old friend.

The affective reasons are those very well explained by Terenzio. Since Venice was an important city in Stravinsky's musical career, there can undoubtedly also be an aspect of "diplomacy" in the choice, but certainly not a determining factor for a situation of this kind...

Of course, the author of your text is very implicit in his statements!

The concluding part of your question seems important to me: "only a name, two dates and a small cross, of pure gold", what does it mean? In my opinion, it means the essentiality of a message that wants to trace back to its spiritual root, as is typical of the composer's late works, but also of previous works, such as the Symphony of Psalms, in which the Alleluia renounces traditional effusions of joy to limit itself to an absorbed and interior lyricism.

In Roman Vlad's book on Stravinsky, which I recommend you read (Einaudi ed., 1958 and 1973), it is read that the funeral rite was celebrated "in the basilica of Saints John and Paul by the Armenian Archimandrite Malissianos, in the presence of a Catholic bishop and evangelical and Anglican ministers of worship, almost as a symbol of the spiritual universality that his art had brought into being".

nicolasfredda wrote:

certamente the author of your text is very implicit in his statements!

I think it is taken from this text, I found the passage written exactly like this

Jean-Noël von der Weid: La musica del XX secolo" ("Le sfere", Ricordi-LIM)

http://www.altremusi...ri/XXsecolo.htm

Reading the paragraph in relation to Venice, Canticum sacrum (1955) also came to mind, conceived specifically for the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, both for the subject (Latin text from the two Testaments), both for the form (5 parts that recall the 5 domes of the basilica), and both for the style (serialism in sections 2-3 and 4, a cantata within a cantata).

Frank wrote:

I think it is taken from this text, I found the passage written exactly like this

Jean-Noël von der Wied: La musica del XX secolo" ("Le sfere", Ricordi-LIM)

http://www.altremusi...ri/XXsecolo.htm

Reading the paragraph in relation to Venice, Canticum factum (1955) also came to mind, conceived specifically for the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, both for the subject (Latin text from the two Testaments), both for the form (5 parts recalling the 5 domes of the basilica), and both for the style (serialism in sections 2-3 and 4, a cantata within a cantata).

To complete the information, one can further add:

Monumentum pro Gesualdo da Venosa ad CD annum

Three madrigals recomposed for instruments

Instrumentation: 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 2 violins, viola, cello

Composition: March 1960

First performance: Venice, Palazzo Ducale, September 27, 1960

Edition: Boosey & Hawkes, New York, 1960

Threni: id est Lamentationes Jeremiae prophetae

for soloists, choir, and orchestra

Text: Latin from the Book of Lamentations

Instrumentation: soprano, contralto, 2 tenors, 2 basses, mixed choir, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, sarrusophone, 4 horns, bugle, 3 trombones, bass tuba, flugelhorn, tam-tam, harp, celesta, piano, strings

Composition: 1957 - Venice, March 21, 1958

First performance: Venice, Sala della Scuola Grande di S. Rocco, September 23, 1958

Edition: Boosey & Hawkes, New York, 1958

Dedication: Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Hamburg

Thank you all, I thought that by 'diplomatic' it was meant that burying him where he had taken refuge was perhaps too much for the ex-USSR (and perhaps vice versa)... given also the Cold War period; therefore a neutral territory is better, aside from the emotional issues well described by you