The Symphony in C is entirely abstract and seems a retreat into the 'pure music' styles of Bach, Beethoven, and Haydn. Stravinsky disclaimed any link between his personal experiences and the symphony's content. Regarding its style, Stravinsky acknowledged a division of the symphony into halves. The first two movements, composed in Europe, use more traditional rhythmic patterns and harmonizations. The last two movements use frequent modulations of rhythm and are much more chromatic. Stravinsky's misfortunes apart, the Symphony in C had been infrequently performed in the composer's lifetime; Stravinsky noted that for several years he was the only person conducting the work. work was choreographed by Martha Graham in the late 1980s. She named the result "Persephone" in ironic reference to another major work by Stravinsky. Although Graham choreographed all four movements, only the three-movement version was performed on stage.