The Rite of Spring, a ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on May 29, 1913. It is considered one of the first examples of Modernism in music and is noted for its brutality. The ballet is actually a collection of short pieces, specifically 13 pieces, and is often held up as a masterwork that changed modern music forever.
The dancers in folkloric costumes moved unpredictably to pounding chords, marking the 1913 premiere at Paris’ Champs Elysées Theater. Dancers honored the advent of spring and engaged in rituals of celebration and competition. A young woman was chosen as the sacrificial victim who must dance herself to. Stravinsky’s ballet score is an epochal landmark in music, with French and Russian titles translating literally as The Coronation Of Spring and English titles giving a suitably chilling atmosphere.
The Rite of Spring is considered one of the first examples of Modernism in music, known for its brutality, barbaric rhythms, and dissonance. The Hong Kong Ballet gave two young choreographers a difficult task: produce the notoriously difficult Rite of Spring for the Hong Kong stage. The ballet depicts the return of spring and the renewal of the earth through the sacrifice of a virgin.
In his handwritten version of the story, Vaslav Nijinsky’s The Rite of Spring introduced a blast of modernism into a conventional art form, changing the course of dance and introducing a blast of modernism into a conventional art form.
📹 Episode 10: The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky
It doesn’t get more radical than this – Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking ballet and the story of that “Riot at the Rite”!
What texture is The Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring: The Adoration of the Earth is a polyphonic piece that combines polyphonic and homophonic textures to illustrate the theme of spring. The music’s complexity and timbre contribute to its sound, making it polyphonic but less polyphonic due to fewer instruments. The performers use these changes to show the concept of Korean shamanism.
The piece begins with an improvisational motif played by solo bassoon, introducing the arrival of spring. The opening melody, played quietly by the solo bassoon, evokes the feeling of the awakening of a tiny part of Earth, like the beginning of flower blossoming. The piece’s structure is influenced by the use of fewer instruments and the composer’s intention to convey the concept of Korean shamanism.
Why is Rites of Spring emo?
Emo music has a four-decade history, starting with Rites of Spring in the ’80s, a punk band that created a vulnerable, cathartic sound. In the 1990s, a new generation of bands adopted emo as a torch to carry, while avoiding the stigma of the term itself. As the new century began, emo gained popularity, with bands like Warped Tour, MTV, Myspace, and Hot Topic embracing its lofty sadness. In the 2010s, emo became smaller and bigger, with rap stars like Paramore worshiping Paramore.
In 2023, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Rodrigo have incorporated trace elements of emo into their hits. This inheritance of emo in American popular song is confusing, but it may be a dimension of the adolescent experience sung in a deeply intuitive, expressive, and flexible way. Culture journalist Andy Greenwald once said that music will be labeled emo as long as there are teenagers, but it has never stopped changing its musical shape. Instead of viewing emo as a style, we should think of it as an adaptation, responding to the tumultuous world outside our heads and acknowledging humanity in a world that wants to strip it away.
Which is the most difficult ballet?
Swan Lake is a challenging ballet dance with 32 fouettes, featuring whiplash motions of the raised leg. These quick movements are impressive from the audience’s perspective, but the dancer’s expertise makes them appear easy. To master difficult ballet dance steps, learn the correct balance and flow, practice, warm up before practicing, stretch before and after, stay calm, focus on the steps, and don’t get discouraged if you make a mistake. Male ballet dancers typically wear a leather or canvas slipper with a soft sole, rather than pointe shoes, for flexibility while jumping.
What type of piece is Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring, a ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, premiered in Paris on May 29, 1913, and is considered one of the first examples of Modernism in music. The piece is known for its brutality, barbaric rhythms, and dissonance, with its opening performance being one of the most scandalous in history. The piece was commissioned by Serge Diaghilev, the impresario of the Ballets Russes, and developed by Stravinsky with the help of artist and mystic Nicholas Roerich.
The production was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, and its sets and costumes were designed by Roerich. The Rite of Spring, inspired by Russian culture, challenged the audience with its chaotic percussive momentum, making it a startlingly modern work.
Why was Rite of Spring so controversial?
On May 29, 1913, Les Ballets Russes in Paris performed The Rite of Spring, a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. The performance was characterized by a rhythmic score and primitive scenario, setting scenes from pagan Russia. The complex music and violent dance steps, depicting fertility rites, initially sparked unrest, leading to a riot. The Paris police intervened but only restored limited order, causing chaos for the rest of the performance.
Despite this, Sergei Diaghilev, the director of Les Ballets Russes, praised the scandal as “just what I wanted”. The ballet completed its run of six performances without further disruption. The piece is considered a 20th-century masterpiece and is often heard in concert. In 1988, the Joffrey Ballet reconstructed Nijinsky’s original setting, televised nationally on PBS, 75 years after its premiere.
What genre is The Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring is a ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes company. The avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a sensation when first performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913. The music achieved equal or greater recognition as a concert piece and is widely considered one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century.
Stravinsky was a young, virtually unknown composer when Diaghilev recruited him to create works for the Ballets Russes. The concept behind The Rite of Spring, developed by Nicholas Roerich from Stravinsky’s outline idea, is suggested by its subtitle, “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts”. The scenario depicts various primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring, after which a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death.
The ballet was not performed again until the 1920s, when a version choreographed by Léonide Massine replaced Nijinsky’s original, which saw only eight performances. Massine’s production was the forerunner of many innovative productions directed by the world’s leading choreographers, gaining work worldwide acceptance. In the 1980s, Nijinsky’s original choreography was reconstructed by the Joffrey Ballet in Los Angeles.
Stravinsky’s score contains many novel features for its time, including experiments in tonality, metre, rhythm, stress, and dissonance. The music influenced many of the 20th-century’s leading composers and is one of the most recorded works in the classical repertoire.
Why is Rite of Spring controversial?
On May 29, 1913, Les Ballets Russes in Paris performed The Rite of Spring, a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky and choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky. The performance was characterized by a rhythmic score and primitive scenario, setting scenes from pagan Russia. The complex music and violent dance steps, depicting fertility rites, initially sparked unrest, leading to a riot. The Paris police intervened but only restored limited order, causing chaos for the rest of the performance.
Despite this, Sergei Diaghilev, the director of Les Ballets Russes, praised the scandal as “just what I wanted”. The ballet completed its run of six performances without further disruption. The piece is considered a 20th-century masterpiece and is often heard in concert. In 1988, the Joffrey Ballet reconstructed Nijinsky’s original setting, televised nationally on PBS, 75 years after its premiere.
What style of ballet is The Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring, a ballet created by Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky, represents a fusion of classical ballet and modern dance. It was originally performed by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes Company in Paris.
Is The Rite of Spring difficult to play?
“The Rite of Spring” is a masterpiece in twentieth-century orchestration, known for its catchy and memorable nature. However, it is a challenging piece to play, with the first recording to achieve the desired effect coming from Pierre Boulez with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1969. The piece was considered impossible to play precisely as written before. The composer also enjoys matching music to the season and weather, such as jazz, which can transform “depressing” weather into “atmospheric” ones. “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” might match the spring weather in Georgia, but in South Bend, where it’s snowy, hails, and winds, “The Rite of Spring” is more suitable.
Why didn’t people like Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky, premiered in Paris on May 29, 1913, and was expected to be a major cultural event due to the talent involved. The Ballets Russes, or “Russian Ballet”, was a hot ticket due to the Eastern exoticism of previous productions, such as Firebird and Petrushka, both composed by Stravinsky. The audience was shocked by the ugly costumes, heavy choreography, and harsh music, which was expected to shock the audience.
The choreographer, Vaslav Nijinsky, was known for his shocking and often risqué choreography, such as his 1912 performance of Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune. The audience was shocked and with good reason.
Is The Rite of Spring homophonic?
The Rite of Spring: The Adoration of the Earth is a polyphonic piece that combines polyphonic and homophonic textures to illustrate the theme of spring. The music’s complexity and timbre contribute to its sound, making it polyphonic but less polyphonic due to fewer instruments. The performers use these changes to show the concept of Korean shamanism.
The piece begins with an improvisational motif played by solo bassoon, introducing the arrival of spring. The opening melody, played quietly by the solo bassoon, evokes the feeling of the awakening of a tiny part of Earth, like the beginning of flower blossoming. The piece’s structure is influenced by the use of fewer instruments and the composer’s intention to convey the concept of Korean shamanism.
📹 Joffrey Ballet 1987 Rite of Spring (1 of 3)
THIS IS ONLY Part 1 of 3 (prompts will show) OK . HERE WE GO. Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky funded by Serge Diaghilev’s …
THANK YOU for posting this!!!! I’ve been DYING to see Nijinsky’s choreography for this piece since I was a kid (I’m a classical harpist who’s been listening to classical music since I was a baby, my parents listened to classical music too) and have always wondered what it was like. It’s MAGNIFICENT! The forms, shapes and movements are reminiscent of ancient pottery or rock art. The costumes are incredible. I’m reading some comments on here that I just don’t quite understand. If you’re looking for Swan Lake, this ain’t it. But I’d think that anyone who knows anything about ballet would have known that, since Rite Of Spring is so well known that it’s impossible to miss. I’m also seeing comments from pagans. I’m neo-pagan myself, and I’m VERY confused about their comments. Pre-Christian paganism included human sacrifice, and even child sacrifice. This again is so well known that I’m amazed there’s any question about it. What we call “paganism” nowadays is absolutely nothing like what it was at that time. Again, I’m a neo-pagan, people. There’s nothing wrong with reinterpreting an ancient tradition/religion, but we shouldn’t lose sight of what it once was, at least in some places at certain times.
Je n’aime pas le ballet en général, Pardonnez-moi. Mais ce ballet avec la choréographie de NIJINSKY est le seul que j’adore avec la musique de Stravinsky. LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS! C’est tt simplement glorieux, inimitable, une merveille. J’en ai vu bien d’autres depuis. Mais en ce qui me concerne, cette chorégraphe de 1913 est la meilleure et personne ne la dépassera à tt jamais. Merci beaucoup et salutations de Montréal, Qc, Canada
As music and dance critic of The Milwaukee Journal, I attended the scholarly conference on the Rite reconstruction in Chicago — I believe it was in the fall of 1987 — the Joffrey Ballet’s home. About 15 years of research went into the reconstruction of Nijinsky’s 1913 ballet. They had the design drawings for the sets and costumes and reproduced them to the last details. They had the notebooks of Marie Rambert, who was Nijinsky’s assistant during the creation of the work. I believe they had other idiosyncratic dance notations of the work at hand, as well as written accounts of Paris and London performances, along with dancer recollections. Lots of interviews were involved. The Chicago premiere was an electric event. The program included Bronislava Nijinska’s “Les Noces,” another “primitivist” ballet based on Russian folkways. (I like “Rite” a lot, but I think “Les Noces” — “The Wedding” — is the better dance.) And now, just in case other posters care to know what they’re talking about, here’s Jack Smith’s informational advance story on The Joffrey’s performance in New York, 1987: nytimes.com/1987/10/25/arts/the-joffrey-ballet-restores-nijinsky-s-rite-of-spring.html?unlocked_article_code=1.BE0.mYt6._MXMsv5Eqbvh&smid=url-share
SOME ” REAL ART” LECTURE FOR “MY PEOPLE” AS YOU CAN READ WE DON T CARE FOR “BRAINDEAD SLAVES WHO KNOW NOTHING REAL” SO LIVE ON PRETEND TO BE CREATIVE HAHAHAHA AND WEAR CLONE GEAR HAHAHA DADA GOTHIC MANIFESTO – NO REAL ARTIST GOT SUCH SHIT LIKE “A OPINION” OPINION = MASS HERDING MEDIA CLONED COMMON SENSE CLONED UNREAL BRAINWASH SELF HYPNOSIS OF COMMON SLAVES CONSTANT MÄÄÄÄ DUMB “MY OPINION” WATCH INTERVIEWS YOU SEE AT ONCE WHO IS “REAL ART” BEING LAUGH AT YOU SAYING THIS WORD AND IS “RARE” SO ART <= MASS SHEEPLE I CREATE IN BLUE JEANS HAVING NO RELATION TO REAL ART IDIOCY OF SHEEPLE LIKE "UNI OR ART ACADAMIES??" JOKES OF "ANTI REAL ART" WE DON T LOOK AT SI AM COMMENTING TO YOU NOT TO THIS SHEEP SO STUPID TO INSULT HIMSELF IN PUBLIC CALLING "DIVINE" NOT GOOD" HAHAHHA SORRY IDIOTS MAKE THEMSELVES ALWAYS IDIOTS "WITH BIG MOUTH" = APPLAUSED BYS SHEEP REAL HUMANS DO NOT JOIN SO I SPEAK ONLY !!! TO YOU DARING TO BRING "ART AND OPINION" IN A RELATION??? INSANE LISTEN TO REAL ARTISTS "I GIVE A FUCK IF SLAVES LIKE IT" IS REAL ART AND BETTER WE ALWAYS REACH REAL INTELLIGENT BY HEART MIND = STUPID IF GEIST SO LET THEM SLAVES OF BRAINWASH MÄÄÄÄÄÄ = TILL DATH" = IS "REAL ART" OPINION = WORD OF BRAINWASHED UNREAL NO HUMANS WHO GET ORGASM SPEAKING BULLSHIT APLAUSED BY MANY IDIOTS EVEN THEY CAN FACE IN SCIENCE "MASS = STUPID" NEVER URGE FOR MASS TO BE "NO MORE STUPID2 BUT LET STUPID ABUSE THEM = POLITICIANS THE MORE WE LET THEM THE MORE "COMMON" NO CHARISMA BLA " OPINION IN SPEECH" TOTAL "NON EDUCATED" REAL EDUCATION = SELF STUDY BY SUPERNATURAL GUIDANCE" NO HUMANS "CAN NOT EVEN GUESS HAHAHA UNI = LEARN SHIT REAL ARTISTS FOUND OUT LEFT FAST AND?? BEGAN SELF STUDY SO MANY LIKES = NO QUALITY IF REAL BRAIN SO NO THIS STATEMENT UNDERLINES NO CLUE WHAT IS "DIVINE" LET THEM MÄÄÄÄ ESPECIALLY REAL ART BEING IS - HOW CAN AN IDIOT UNDERSTAND???? WHO NEVER FOUND OUT FIRST ONE NEEDS TO URGE TO TRANSFORM "A HUMAN" SO WHAT NO HUMANS SPEAK WHO GIVES A FUCK!!! IS REAL ART MY MY OPINION AND ART???? IS NEVER MEETING REAL ART = I AM REAL POLITICS" SEE ART NEVER FOUND OUT HAHAHA SO I AM SURE HE LIKES POP ART OR SHE OR IT??? WHO CARES IF REAL I JUST CARE NEVER SAY ART SPEAKS OPINION HUGE "NO NO" REAL SHITS ON OPINIONS HAVING FIRM SOLID REAL GEIST BORN REAL KNOWLEDGE CONVICTION REAL ART = CONVICTION ANYWAY YOU SAID ART AND ART = SHIT SO WHO CARES I JUST CARE FOR YOU TO LEARN ART OPINION PSYCHOLOGY RELIGION = NO HUMAN BEING REAL ART = DIVNE HUMAN BEING THEY DID NO EVEN MANAGE TO FIND THE BASICS "HUMAN BEING" = NO BRAINWASH AND NO MIND BUT HEART SELFLESS IN OWN URGE SO ITS TIME NO HUMANS FACE "REAL ARTISTS"
REAL ART DADA GOTH IS MORE THAN A HUMAN – MANIFESTO FOR FATOVA MINGUS MADAMME I AM GOT A FEELING YOU KNOW REAL ART = “IS” AND IN JUST EXISTING DESTROYS ALL SHIT LIKE “UNREAL LOOSER POP ART” INTERESTING IS “IN NON EDUCATED USA SOME REBELS GOT BRAINWASH DADA IS “RELATED TO THE TRAITORS COMMON SHIT OF POP ART” POP ART = IDIOTS ADAPT SHIT AS ART “OBVIOUS” SO ONE IS ONLY A REAL ARTIST “ONESELF” BY “REAL TO BE” INTERESTING “NOT ONE REAL ARTIST WEARS SLAVE GEAR LIKE BLUE JEANS OR TALKS LIKE A CLONE SO MY SUPPORT TO YOU “IF “YOU ARE ” WHAT I FEEL IN YOUR “SUPERNATURAL ENERGY” ON YOUR website SO ITS TRUE ALL SELFISH “WHO MÄÄÄ I LOVE YOU AND I WANT GOT A HEART BUT LIVE MIND = NEVER TRANSFORMED A HUMAN MAY SATISFY YOU A BIT TO KNOW “REAL ART ELITE ESPECIALLY DADA NEVER DIED AND ASSHOLES CLAIM TO BE FOR DADA WORLDWIDE SURE PISSING YOU OFF LIKE ME THE REAL BOSS OF DADA LAWRENCE VON DADA NOW DUE TO NO ONE CAN FEEL DADA AND GOTHS ARE THE ONLY REAL ART PEOPLE VISBLE IN REAL STYLE AS SECOND SKIN LAWRENCE VON GOTHIC I AM REPEAT NIJINSKY ETERNAL THE MOST STYLISH AND DIVINE CHOREOGRAPHY HE WAS KILLED BY IDIOTS THINKING “TO SUDDENLY KNOW GOD IS SICK” SO PSYCHOLOGY IN ITS “NO KNOWLEDGE” DID KILL HIM LIKE LUDWIG VON BAYERN KILLED BY DEMOCRACY FASCISTS TO FOOL IDIOTS IN GREED CALLED PROFIT NOW WE GOT “SHIT IN BRAIN I DON T KNOW WHAT STYLE AND HUMAN IS” WORLD CONFORM DUMB POPULATION ALLOWING CRIME LOCKDOWN OF LOOSERS SUCH CAN NEVER HONOR “REAL ART” REAL ART EXTINCTS ART AS SHIT SO NIJINSKY IS ONE OF US “REAL ARTISTS WHO KNOW GOD” TO BELIEVE = OBVIOUS I AM NOT RELATED TO GOD OR SPIRITUALITY SO IS LOVE A BUCKET FULL OF SHIT ONLY REAL SELFLESS LOVE MATTERS ON WHICH SO MANY BROTHERS AND SISTERS DID “FALL ONLY FACING “IDIOT FLESH” LIKE TODAY TO FIND A “HUMAN” IN 2023 IS “REAL ART ALONE SO BRUDER NIJINSKY REMAINS UNREACHABLE VIVA LA DADA LAWRENCE VON GOTHIC ARCHGRANDMASTER OF REAL KNGHTS TEMPLAR TRANSLATED REAL DIVINE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ONE WITH REAL ART REAL GOTHIC ELITE REAL GOTHIC LEAGUE DADA REAL DIVINE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT WE ARE NOT INTERESTED “IN ” NO HUMANS” JOINING US THOSE ARE TO FIND IN “DARK SCENE ONLY ABUSING GOTHIC TO “TRIVALIZE EVERYTHING FOR SILLY CONSUME IDIOT BEING” SO GOTH = ENEMY OF DARK SCENE IF ONE GOT “BRAIN” ALL REAL REMAINS ETERNAL IN GEIST AND HEART SO ALL UNREAL ONE NOW CAN JUST PISS OFF HAAHAHAHA REMAIN REAL!
This resurrection and preservation of an historical work is to be highly commended, as it speaks volumes to the cultural mileu of its origin. The reaction of the patronage world is also a very important story! It would be an excellent comparative study for today. Robert Joffrey was the modern link who reconnected the living memories of the original.
I saw a revival of this a few years ago in Chicago by the Joffrey and it was mesmerizing to see in person. I believe the costumes and dancing were recreations of the original ROS that was based on a research for a doctoral thesis many years earlier. Amazingly, there exists quite a lot of detailed information from various sources about the actual performance and reviews in the papers, in addition to notes and sketches from Stravinsky himself and other contemporaries.
I first came across this three-ish years ago, i was a senior in high school and for our marching band show our composer incorporated a bit of the music from this into the score. our directors encouraged us to listen to the actual piece, so i did. and i was confused out of my damn mind. but I loved it. I didn’t understand it then, I still don’t really understand it now, but I dont care. listening to this brings me so much happiness, I remember listening to this with my friends at lunch during band rehearsals and looking up what it all meant and playing it on bus rides to marching competitions to get ourselves in the zone. i know it probably sounds a little dumb lmao but honestly it brings back really happy and funny memories. thanks for posting.
Can someone explain to me – do people actually enjoy this piece? Or is this just an evolutionary piece in the musical history, and hence important? If people do enjoy it, why? For the shock value? Sorry if I come off as offensive, but this is my first time actually listening to this and I don’t think I understand it.
There is a very good reason why Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps music is so well known and the Ballet it was made for so little known. It is because the music is one of the greatest masterpieces of music of the 20th century while the Ballet is one of the worst ballets I have ever seen. Certainly the worst Russian ballet choreography I have ever seen. The only value it has is historical. The movements of the dancers are pathetic, unconvincing, it is like perusal talentless children interpreting Shakespeare; ironically this very same dancers are capable of magnificent unforgettable interpretations in so many classical ballets. Every movement the dancers make in this ballet, if it can be called a ballet, is proof that the music was to advance for its time; the choreographer was not prepared for the leap forward the music made. The time is now ripe for Theatre des Champs-Elysees and the Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra to present us with a ballet for this magnificent music that does it justice. Something truly unabashed, truly progressive, powerful, scandalous, electrifying, contra punctual, rhythmic, convulsive, with 21st century High Tech choreography; to match the power of the music. Not an easy task but today possible.
At first, I only knew this for the music for a long time, then I found out it was a ballet and I had to watch it on youtube. I’ve watched three different versions and Rite of Spring has officially trumped Swan Lake as my favorite. It just blew me away. If I could dance in any ballet, it would be this one. Hands down.
This whole routine reminds me of the annual “Indak Indak” or Streetdance in Davao, Philippines every August, where we celebrate the annual “harvest”. I mean, I don’t find the choreography weird, but this choreo paired with violins and classical instruments was really interesting for me. I usually see these type of dances with just drums and the occasional xylophone and cymbals.
Yes, I would agree with a couple of these comments…that there is fear brought on by discordant music. And the shocking, antic movements by the dancers is almost like nothing I have ever seen. I would love to locate source material showing the hand movements and dance positions of the true pagan rituals.
I am here for history class. We’re learning about innovations on art, music, and writing and stuff. I saw the people in the costumes in the book and became overly curious. I mean, the book said “jerky and harsh movements” but I was honestly surprised when I saw this. Overall, I didn’t like the dance it looks different than what I’m used to perusal on Dancing with the Stars lol. However, I am impressed with it and give a round of applause to the people who performed it.
Imagine what the Parisian audience thought at the premier back in 1913. After all, the Parisians were the most sophisticated people in the world. They had purchased expensive tickets to see the fabulous Ballet Rousse, expecting to see something like Giselle, Coppelia or Swan Lake, and instead got this. No wonder it sparked a riot!
Zeppolino100 I read that some bebop jazz musicians were influenced by Igor Sravinsky do you think that is true? What do you think that these dancers in orange and why orange are thinking of? What are the top three things that you think of as you take in Rite of Spring? Let me hear from you and thank you. “PEWDIEPIE OUR INSPIRATION” that is the name of my latest YouTube. Can you after listening (please go listen) determine what Beatles song I used? Please go give it a listen (Thanks!) and let me know. Thanks again!
It seems like this first part is all about the (medicine woman? Priestess?) old woman instructing the men (priests?) in how to set up the ritual. They look to be taking instruction, measuring out distances, and tracing the two circles later used during the sacrifice. Then maybe a celebration of spring by the tribe as the maidens prepare for their role in the ritual? There are moments of tension when the maidens in red line up, huddle together, and look at each other or the priests like they dread the night to come and are wondering which of them won’t be there by morning. Then the opening rites and worshiping of whatever deity this is all for. This is such a fascinating ballet to watch that I keep coming back to it and finding new things to wonder over each time.
From time to time I return to this ballet, specially when I am currently in my 20th century ballet phase. Thanks again for this, Fatova. By the way, have you ever seen or listened to the politically-oriented ballets from Shostakovich? I’m talking about “The Golden Age” and “The Bolt”. They are very conservative compared to ROS, as they are filled with goofy dances, but they still have many dissonant and loud moments. The story of both ballets is very interesting since they were banned by the Soviet authorities. I would like to know what you think about those works. Greetings from Colombia.
It’s a fantastically challenging ballet – not one to sit in the audience and drift off. I have so much respect for artists who try something different, knowing the people of their day may not like it but that future generations will see it for what it was- ahead of its time. It’s tense, anxiety-inducing and almost beastial. Love it.
Just to think of the premiere classical company of its time not just losing the turnout, but staying slightly turned in. Then the costumes, and finally the choreography and music. People threw anything they had on stage to stop the first performance, with Nijinsky supposedly screaming counts from offstage to keep the dancers on cue. It was shown years later that Nijinsky’s increasingly erratic behavior was due to schizophrenia. Was that something that influenced this choreography? I can’t imagine the time and effort it took to restage this piece after 100 years. Bravo to the Joffery!
Especially in light of this ballet, I often felt that Stravinsky would have gotten along VERY well with Jim Morrison. They both were rebels and did not conform to the norms of their day and believed in pushing artistic limits. I would not be a bit surprised if there were numerous times that Jim Morrison listened to The Rite Of Spring while he read the works of William Blake and Friedrich Nietzsche. Interestingly, both Morrison and Stravinsky died the same year– 1971!
Hey…HEY! haha Look…everyone stop trying to blow holes in the accuracy of the reconstruction. It is all we have, it is VERY close and only Stavinsky and Roerich could have filled in the holes. Hodson and Archer – on Robert Joffrey’s dime and wish – are icons, Archeologists of ballet. She has been kicked around by her own peers to a point that Le Sacre reads this way: “Le Sacre du Printemps, choreographed by Millicent Hodson, inspired by Vaslav Nijinsky” Not only is that insulting to her…it is like denying Nijinsky again. Forget facts. He did. So did the Maestro. This was the anti EVERYTHING and it is sacred as a result. You have to approach the “is it real or not” thinking spiritually, organically. Get out on the edge with some “anti-logic” and don’t kill Nijinsky a 2nd time. If we think he was not involved in this historical phenomena…we are just soulless thinkers, all. Be grateful and respectful of Le Sacre du Printemps. Man. You people like to tear it up.
Choreography as iconoclastic as this music was a tall order, but Nijinksy did it. One of the longhairs from the 80s metal band Winger now composes “New” and cites him as an influence. When you watch this, try to imagine a world before airplanes existed, where everyone pretended they weren’t animals… A couple years before chemical warfare was first unleashed in Europe.
I bet Stravinsky and Nijinsky would be amused (and a little sad) that even over 100 years later some people can’t except this. If you don’t like the music and dance, fair enough, it would be a boring world if we all liked the same. But Nijinsky’s choreography (over a more “traditional” one) is awesome and flows with the music brilliantly. So glad the Joffrey went through the effort.
I think I get why there were riots. You’re an art-minded Parisian, you want to go to the ballet to see grace and beauty in motion, and the ballet starts you see this goofy crap. It’s one thing to defy expectations, but this is NOTHING like anything you expected or even wanted to see. But then there’s another side of this that you (an art-minded Parisian, remember) never expected: this really is effective at tapping into something primal in us, that part of us that still understands we’re at the mercy of the elements and the whim of nature. You totally don’t expect that to be dredged up, and you probably can’t even put words to it. A room full of people with a lot of emotions roiling and bubbling and overflowing …. yeah I could see people going nuts for no rational reason.
I came here to see all the hub-bub because of NPR. They talked about this Ballet and the Riot of 1913 and they did a neurologcal study about sound as touch. There were also several other interesting articles on their site about this piece of work which got me curious about the dancing as much as the music so I needed to find one that did not have any other interpretation to the work other than Nijinsky and Stravinsky. Frankly, I enjoyed it. Joffrey’s a good man for having preserved the work as best as he could, we are more enlightened for it . . . . (looks at other comments) well, almost everyone. 🙂
I feel sorry for the people who left immature negative comments on this article. It’s okay to dislike the performance, but to say such ignorant things shows your lack of education and maturity. Luckily I’m educated enough in art to notice the brilliance here and the hard work put into such a production. I love this ballet and hope to have the chance to see it performed live one day.
Even though this is my favorite version of the le sacre, I want to make something clear. What Joffrey did in 1989 wasn’t an exact reconstruction Nijinsky’s piece since the archive and research (however thorough) weren’t complete. A lot of gaps were found and Joffrey interpreted them. Their research was amazing but nevertheless inconclusive. Nijinsky’s piece will be sadly forever lost since the archives, etc. are not complete and vague in certain parts. This is probably not far off of what it was actually like in 1913 but no one can say for sure this is the exact replica. It’s a beautiful historical fantasy, but not a historical reconstruction.
That’s why they called it the Re-Rite of Spring. They used four different arrangements of rite people had done throughout the years. I thought it was pretty brilliant. Was there for the finals – blew me away. I was also in Chicago perusal a rehearsal of the Rite of Spring with the Chicago Symphony. Pretty great as well.
Ok, first, Blue devils did not Rearrange it. The re: Rite of spring is based on a jazz arrangement of the rite of spring. Second, if you understand the spirit and audacity of the original Rite of Spring then you would appreciate Blue Devil’s production that much more. It’s a gorgeous and daring tribute.
To this day The Rite of Spring shocks. Wonderful to see Nijinsky’s original choreography – replicating as near as possible what the first audience experienced. There’s never been a more shattering kick up the ass of music before or since – and it stands alone as a terrifying, arousing and unsettling work.