Memories and commentaries

Memories and Commentaries was published in 1960 as the second volume in a series of collaborative books between the composer Igor Stravinsky and his assistant and friend, the conductor Robert Craft. Emerging from a period of intense intellectual exchange during the 1950s, these dialogues were designed to document Stravinsky's perspectives on music, his contemporaries, and his own creative process. The book serves as a vital historical record of mid-century musical thought, capturing Stravinsky's sharp, often provocative opinions in a candid, conversational format.

The design and structure of the work were heavily influenced by Craft’s role as an interlocutor, a deliberate choice intended to bypass the formality of traditional autobiography. By framing the text as a sequence of interviews and musings, the authors successfully balanced technical musicological insight with personal reminiscence. Upon its release by Faber & Faber, the book was received as an essential primary source, praised by critics for providing an intimate window into the mind of one of the 20th century's most influential composers.