About this episode
This episode explores Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird, its characters, and the music that brings the story to life.
Igor Stravinsky became famous almost overnight thanks to one magical ballet — The Firebird . In this episode, I'll take you inside the glowing, mysterious world of this Russian fairy tale, filled with enchanted creatures, an evil sorcerer, brave heroes, and powerful music that tells the story without words. Based on centuries-old Russian folk tales, The Firebird follows Prince Ivan , who captures a magical Firebird and receives a glowing feather in return for her freedom. That feather later helps him defeat Kashchei the Immortal , an evil sorcerer who has trapped princesses and turned travelers into stone. With the Firebird's help, Ivan breaks Kashchei's spell, frees the princesses, and brings peace back to the enchanted forest. Stravinsky's music brings every moment of this story to life — from the shimmering Firebird theme to the pounding rhythms of Kashchei's Infernal Dance and the glowing, triumphant Finale. 🎵 What You'll Learn in This Episode The fairy-tale story behind The Firebird Who the Firebird, Prince Ivan, and Kashchei are How Stravinsky uses leitmotifs (musical themes for characters and ideas) How this ballet made Stravinsky famous at just 27 years old Why The…
People in this episode
Host: Carly Seifert
Topics covered
- ballet
- fairy tale
- music education
- Stravinsky
- orchestral works
Keywords
- The Firebird
- Igor Stravinsky
- ballet
- Prince Ivan
- Kashchei
- music themes
- orchestral music
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Toronto Symphony Orch
Books & works: The Firebird
More episodes of Busy Kids Love Music
- Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor · May 5, 2026 · 9 min
- The Four Seasons · April 21, 2026 · 13 min
- The Life of Antonio Vivaldi · April 7, 2026 · 11 min
- Why Were So Many Women Composers Forgotten? · March 24, 2026 · 9 min
- Margaret Bonds · March 10, 2026 · 8 min
- Music During the Harlem Renaissance · February 24, 2026 · 9 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Busy Kids Love Music podcast page.