Firebird

The Firebird, ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, first performed in Paris on June 25, 1910. It was the first international success of the composer’s career. Although The Firebird was the work that elevated Stravinsky to international renown, he was offered the commission to compose the ballet for the newly formed Ballets Russes only after several prominent Russian composers had already rejected it. With the premiere at the Paris Opéra quickly approaching, Serge Diaghilev, the grand impresario of the Ballets Russes, selected the inexperienced Stravinsky, then only 27 years old, on the basis of his early orchestral works.

The Firebird is a type of trumpet with the standard three valves and the addition of a trombone-style slide. It was invented by Maynard Ferguson and Larry Ramirez and remains an exceptionally rare, specialist instrument. They were occasionally produced by Holton.