Stravinsky's Final Puzzle: Late Masterpieces Brought to Life

A new album reveals the hidden beauty in Igor Stravinsky's complex final works. The famed composer, in his 70s and 80s, turned to a strict system called serialism. This method can sound severe, but conductor Daniel Reuss finds its pure and brilliant core. Leading the Noord Nederlands Orkest and Cappella Amsterdam, Reuss fills this intellectual music with color and light. The album features four major pieces from Stravinsky's late period. It includes a passionate 1954 song using poet Dylan Thomas's words. There is also 1958's "Threni," which sets biblical laments. The collection ends with the haunting "Introitus" and "Requiem Canticles" from the mid-1960s. Shorter works complete the set. Among them is a stark two-minute piece written for President John F. Kennedy.