The Rite of Spring, a ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, is considered one of the first examples of Modernism. Its opening performance in 1913 was one of the most scandalous in history, with the audience arguing so volubly that the title was placed in quotation marks. Stravinsky’s music is known for breaking apart the tonal language and opening up new musical worlds of harmony. The English title, “The Rite Of Spring”, lends a suitably chilling dimension, as the scenario is a pagan ritual in which a sacrificial virgin dances herself to death.
The Rite of Spring is written in two large sections, “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice”, each containing many smaller sections with their own titles. The musical represents one of the greatest creative leaps in not only the history of music but in the history of the arts. Stravinsky’s music is famous for causing a riot at its premiere. Titles of long or short works appearing within an italicized title are enclosed in quotation marks, regardless of how such titles would appear alone.
The rule of thumb is to italicize the title that the composer himself gave to the work and put common titles within quotation marks. Generic titles should be capitalized, but not in italics or quotes.
In summary, the Rite of Spring is a groundbreaking ballet and orchestral concert work by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, known for its groundbreaking music and impact on the history of music.
📹 The Rite of Spring – Lecture
On March 8 and 9, 2013, The Berkshire Symphony, in collaboration with the Williams music, dance, and theatre departments, …
Why was Rite of Spring so controversial?
The rhythmic score and primitive scenario, set in pagan Russia, elicit a visceral response from audiences who are accustomed to the demure conventions of classical ballet.
Are musicals in quotes or italics?
The text delineates the capitalization and attribution of musical works, academic titles, and events. Operas and musicals are italicized, while individual songs and arias are placed within quotation marks. Furthermore, the text offers guidance on the attribution of quotations and the formatting of degrees for current students and alumni.
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.
Is a song in quotes or italics?
Titles of shorter works should be placed in quotation marks, while longer works should be italicized. For instance, a “song title” should be placed in quotation marks but italicized for the album it appears on. This is applicable to various media such as books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, movies, plays, musicals, and television programs. For example, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” can be found in magazines like Newsweek, “Cave Canem” in newspapers, “How to Take Your Own Blood Pressure” in pamphlets, “The Odyssey” in poems, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in radio, “This American Life” in TV programs, “Game of Thrones” in ballet, “Les Sylphides” in dance, “Rodeo Operas” in music, “Mona Lisa” in paintings, “The Burghers of Calais” in ships, “Titanic” in trains, “Air Force One” in the Mistral, and “A Hard Day’s Night” in music albums.
What is the structure of The Rite of Spring?
The Rite of Spring is a ballet composed by Anton Stravinsky, consisting of two large sections, “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice”, each with its own titles. The musical structure is based on ostinatos, repeating rhythmic patterns, and fragments of melodies from Russian and Lithuanian folk songs. Stravinsky combined the modal scales of these songs with an octatonic scale to create rich sonorities.
The unique energy of The Rite of Spring is due to Stravinsky’s innovative decision to abandon a steady beat in favor of constantly shifting ostinatos and melodic fragments, resulting in complex music that often required trouble determining where measure lines should fall in the score.
The riot that broke out at the first performance of The Rite of Spring was a response to Vaslav Nijinsky’s provocative choreography, rather than the music itself. The audience at the premiere was the general public, along with supporters and detractors of Ballets Russes director Serge Diaghilev. The audience expected standard ballet fare, and the performance continued despite the riot, which included fistfights and flying debris.
Why is Rite of Spring so popular?
The Rite of Spring, a 20th-century ballet, is considered one of the most influential works of the 20th century. Its score is the world’s first modernist orchestral work and is one of the most recorded works in the classical repertoire. Over 190 reconstructions and derivations have been mounted on professional stages worldwide, including South African choreographer Dada Masilo’s The Sacrifice, which will be on view at Spoleto Festival USA from June 1 to 4.
The Ballets Russes, founded by impresario Diaghilev in 1909, aimed to introduce Russian artists like Stravinsky, Leon Bakst, Michel Fokine, and Rimsky-Korsakov to the Western world. The Rite of Spring was a collaboration between composer Stravinsky, visual artist Nicholas Roerich, and choreographer Nijinsky, celebrating the advent of spring and its darker plot of ritual sacrifice. The ballet received five performances in Paris and four in London before closing due to World War I, a falling out between Nijinsky and Diaghilev, and Nijinsky’s declining mental health.
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 Russian?
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.
How did Stravinsky write The Rite of Spring?
Stravinsky, a composer known for his folk music, sought inspiration from a book of folk songs rooted in pagan rituals. He needed to find instruments that could play these folk sounds, as modern orchestras are sophisticated instruments with no connection to traditional instruments. Stravinsky wrote for modern orchestra instruments in bizarre ways, pushing them to extreme heights and depths, and placing them in uncomfortable positions.
He mimicked the authentic village sound by adding grace notes, suggesting vocal breaks of untutored singers. Village dances were composed of teams moving in different patterns, similar to how instruments play in the Rite. The alternation of these teams maintains the excitement of the piece.
What did audiences find shocking about The Rite of Spring?
Stravinsky believed that the crowd, who had seen the Sacre du Printemps, were upset by the dissonance in the score, dancers’ movements, and the woodwind section’s rapid sounds. The storm broke when the curtain opened, and the composer reacted by saying “go to hell” to the naive and stupid people. Contrary to popular belief, the riot was likely not due to the shock of the music, exotic choreography, or Roerich’s bizarre settings, but rather by anti-Russian, anti-Diaghilev, and anti-Nijinsky factions in Paris who were determined to disrupt proceedings before music was heard.
Do symphony titles go in quotes or italics?
The titles of larger works, such as symphonies, oratorios, and operas, are written in italics and adhere to the established conventions for capitalizing words. In the case of smaller works, such as movements, arias, songs, or shorter pieces, the titles are presented in quotation marks.
📹 Titles: Italics or Quotation Marks
In this video, I go over the rules of italicizing or quoting titles of books, poems, paintings, essays, tv shows, movies, etc.
Here’s a question for ya: When writing a book, if I’m referring to the grade someone received in a class, would the grade be put in quotes, italics, or just capitalized? For example: “I hoped that my semester’s work would earn me an A, and it did.” I’m currently leaning towards italics… but I could be totally wrong. Any help would be very appreciated!