AllMovie

This documentary of world-famous composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) follows him through several creative endeavors. With the West German Symphonic Orchestra, he conducts a recording session for a memorial piece he composed to honor the recently deceased author Aldous Huxley . His wife and friends gather for a party in their Beverly Hills home which includes such luminaries as author/playwright Christopher Isherwood and choreographer George Balanchine. During the party, the choreographer confers with the maestro on a collaboration based on Stravinsky's original composition for the Huxley memorial. The composer freely recalls audience's early rejection of his music; the initial debut of his Firebird Suite was met with a chorus of boos from the audience. He discusses the many opinions people have about Richard Wagner and how his own views about the controversial composer have changed. Then he makes comments about modern composers and his own enduring place in musical history. One interesting statement by Stravinsky is his observation about young composers: "They say they don't like my consonant music. They are wrong."