Sakharov, Kireevsky, Afanasyev and others: Stravinsky in the context of Russian folkloristics

Abstract

This article focuses on the studies and collections of folk songs and tales that formed the main source of inspiration for Igor Stravinsky during the Russian period of his work. To do this, I begin with a brief analysis of the evolution of folkloristics mainly during the 19th century and the construction of science with clearer, mainly national and patriotic goals and methods, as well as the use of folk literature and poetry by the artists of the time. It was in this field that Stravinsky was active, although in the case of his own modern approach, it is difficult to answer whether the motivations were clearly national or not.