Editing Igor Stravinsky (section)

=== Serial period, 1954–1968 ===
In the 1950s, Stravinsky began using serial compositional techniques, such as the [[twelve-tone technique]] originally devised by [[Arnold Schoenberg]].{{sfn|Craft|1982}} Noble wrote that this time was "the most profound change in Stravinsky's musical vocabulary", partly due to Stravinsky's newfound interest in the music of the [[Second Viennese School]] after meeting Robert Craft.{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=259}} The composer's treatment of the twelve-tone technique was unique: whereas Schoenberg's technique was very strict, disallowing repetitions of a [[tone row]] until it was complete, Stravinsky repeated notes freely, even separating the row into [[Cell (music)|cells]] and reordering the notes. In addition, his serial period's orchestration style became dark and bass-heavy, with [[Wind instrument|winds]] and piano frequently using their lowest registers.{{Sfn|Walsh|2001|loc=9. The proto-serial works, 1951–9}}
[[File:Stravinsky_-_In_memoriam_Dylan_Thomas_five-tone_row.png|alt=The following notes on a musical staff: E natural, E flat, C natural, C sharp, D natural|thumb|Five-tone row from ''In Memoriam Dylan Thomas'' (1954)]]
Stravinsky first experimented with non-twelve-tone serial techniques in small-scale works such as the [[Cantata (Stravinsky)|Cantata]] (1952), the [[Septet (Stravinsky)|Septet]] (1953) and ''Three Songs from Shakespeare'' (1953). The first of his compositions fully based on such techniques was ''In Memoriam Dylan Thomas'' (1954). ''[[Agon (ballet)|Agon]]'' (1954–1957) was the first of his works to include a twelve-tone series, whereas the second movement from ''{{Lang|la|[[Canticum Sacrum]]}}'' (1956) was the first piece to contain a movement entirely based on a tone row.{{sfn|Straus|2001|p=4}} ''Agon''<nowiki/>'s unique tonal structure was significant to Stravinsky's serial music; it begins [[Diatonic scale|diatonic]], moves towards full 12-tone serialism in the middle, and returns to diatonicism in the end.{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=261}} Stravinsky returned to sacred themes in works such as ''{{Lang|la|Canticum Sacrum}},'' ''{{Lang|la|[[Threni (Stravinsky)|Threni]]}}'' (1958), ''[[A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer]]'' (1961), and [[The Flood (Stravinsky)|''The Flood'']] (1962). Stravinsky used a number of concepts from earlier works in his serial pieces; for example, the voice of [[God in Christianity|God]] being two [[Bass (voice type)|bass voices]] in [[homophony]] seen in ''The Flood'' was previously used in ''{{Lang|fr|Les noces}}''.{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=261}} Stravinsky's final large-scale work, the ''[[Requiem Canticles]]'' (1966), made use of a complex four-part array of tone rows throughout, showing the evolution of Stravinsky's serialist music.{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=261}}{{sfn|Straus|1999|p=67}} Noble described the ''Requiem Canticles'' as "a distillation both of the liturgical text and of his own musical means of setting it, evolved and refined through a career of more than 60 years".{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|pp=261–262}}

The influence of other composers on Stravinsky can be seen throughout this period. He was heavily influenced by Schoenberg, not only in his use of the twelve-tone technique, but also in the distinctly "Schoenbergian" instrumentation of the Septet and the similarities between Schoenberg's ''[[Klangfarbenmelodie]]'' and Stravinsky's ''[[Variations: Aldous Huxley in memoriam|Variations]].''{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=259}}{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=261}} Stravinsky also used a number of themes found in works by [[Benjamin Britten]],{{sfn|White|Noble|1980|p=261}} later commenting about the "many titles and subjects [I have shared] with Mr. Britten already".{{sfn|White|1979|p=539}} In addition, he was very familiar with the works of [[Anton Webern]], being one of the figures who inspired Stravinsky to consider serialism a possible form of composition.{{sfn|White|1979|p=134}}