Sketchbook belonging to Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

The Russian composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky—who held French citizenship from 1934 and American citizenship from 1945—is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music. This sketchbook contains several fragments and sketches that allow us to approximate the book’s date to the period when Stravinsky worked on the hour-long theatrical production Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale). The Swiss writer Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz wrote the French libretto, which was to be performed by three actors, one or more dancers, and a septet of instruments. This book includes a page with the instrumentation of the composition and a drawing of what might be the set design for the piece, as well as a sketch of the author Charles-Albert Cingria, a close friend of Stravinsky’s at the time.