Work of the week - Igor Stravinsky: L'oiseau de feu – The Firebird

By Christopher Peter
25 May 2025

Collage showing Igor Stravinsky in a suit in front of a symmetric bathroom set from a Wes Anderson film – top-down view of a man in the tub.

This week, the new film by director Wes Anderson celebrates its cinema premiere: 'The Phoenician Scheme' can be seen in German-speaking movie theaters from 29.05.2025 and then in other countries. Igor Stravinsky's music features prominently in the film; the Hymn from the ballet L'oiseau de feu – The Firebird from 1909/1910 in particular plays an important role in the Hollywood production.

Legendary orchestral music

The Firebird was composed under the original French title L'oiseau de feu by Stravinsky for Serge Diaghilev's legendary ensemble 'Ballets Russes' and was first performed at the Théâtre National de l'Opéra in Paris in June 1910. Stravinsky reworked the rousing ballet music to the Russian folk tale by Michel Fokine several times and composed popular orchestral suites, which are among his most popular works.

The auteur filmmaker Wes Anderson is famous for his visual style and quirky characters. Last but not least, music plays an important role in the director's productions: by using well-known works from the history of music, he breaks up situations, counteracts scenes and adds another layer to them. An earlier example is Joaquín Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez, which he used in his 2004 film 'The Life Aquatic'.

From the stage to the silver screen

Anderson thus joins a tradition of great names in directorial history. Stanley Kubrick is considered one of the most important directors who masterfully incorporated the dramaturgical effect of orchestral music into his work, for example in 'The Shining', 'Eyes Wide Shut' or 'Clockwork Orange'. His successors include Martin Scorsese with music by Krzysztof Penderecki and Gustav Mahler in 'Shutter Island', Yorgos Lanthimos with György Ligeti in 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer', and Joel and Ethan Coen with music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold in 'The Big Lebowski'.

In addition to these composers, Carl Orff is regularly represented in films from the Schott catalog with his popular chorus O Fortuna from Carmina Burana; first in 'Excalibur' in the early 1980s and subsequently in releases such as 'Hunt for Red October', 'Bob's Burgers - The Movie' or even 'Jackass: The Movie'.

Your opinion counts

Which of these films have you seen and what effect did the music have on you? Are you familiar with the ballet L'oiseau de feu – The Firebird and are you looking forward to Wes Anderson's new work? Share your thoughts under the hashtag #WorkoftheWeek - for example on our social media channels!