Popularly known during his lifetime as the world's greatest living composer, Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) not only wrote some of the twentieth century's most influential music, he also assumed the role of cultural icon. This book reveals Stravinsky's two sides - the public persona, preoccupied with his own image and place in history, and the private composer, whose views and beliefs were often purposely suppressed. Charles M. Joseph draws a richer and more human portrait of Stravinsky than anyone has done before, using an array of unpublished materials and unreleased film trims from the composer's huge archive at the Paul Sacher Institute in Switzerland. Focusing on Stravinsky's place in the culture of the twentieth century, Joseph situates the composer among the giants of his age. He discusses Stravinsky's first American commission, his complicated relationship with his son, his professional relationships with celebrities ranging from T. S. Eliot to Orson Welles, his flirtations with Hollywood and television, and his love-hate attitude toward the critics and the media. In a close look at Stravinsky's efforts to mould a public image, Joseph explores the complex dance between the composer and his artistic collaborator, Robert Craft, who orchestrated controversial efforts to protect Stravinsky and edit materials about him, both during the composer's lifetime and after his death.

Charles M. Joseph, William R. Kenan Professor of Liberal Arts at Skidmore College, is also the author of Stravinsky and Balanchine: The Journey of Invention, forthcoming from Yale University Press.

"Charles Joseph offers a completely fresh portrait of Stravinsky, at times controversial, consistently fascinating." Stephen Walsh, author of Stravinsky: A Creative Spring "This book offers a fascinating and to some extent an unprecedented look at the man Stravinsky and his music. Both scholarly and extremely accessible, Joseph's work should be a welcome addition to the library of not only Stravinsky lovers but all who find the creative process enriching." Richard Danielpour