Conducted by the Dutch violinist and conductor Jaap van Zweden, the Dutch Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) performs Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” (French: Le Sacre du Printemps), a ballet and orchestral concert work, which was written for the 1913 Paris season of the Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes company. This performance was recorded on November 10, 2010 at The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. An full-HD video by the Avrotros Klassiek.
Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”
The work was first performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris on 29 May 1913, with original choreography by the Russian ballet dancer and choreographer of Polish descent Vaslav Nijinsky (1890-1950) and stage designs and costumes by the Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947).
Stravinsky was a young, virtually unknown composer when Diaghilev recruited him to create works for the Ballets Russes. The “Rite of Spring” was the third such project, after the acclaimed Firebird (1910) and Petrushka (1911). The concept behind The Rite of Spring, developed by Roerich from Stravinsky’s outline idea, is suggested by its subtitle, “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts”; in the scenario, after various primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring, a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death.
The piece is known for its groundbreaking use of rhythm, harmony, and orchestration, which shocked and fascinated audiences at the time. It is a ballet and orchestral composition, divided into two parts: “The Adoration of the Earth” and “The Sacrifice.”
The ballet’s story is rooted in pagan Russian rituals, depicting the arrival of spring and culminating in the sacrificial dance of a young girl chosen to appease the gods. Stravinsky’s music mirrors the raw, primal nature of these rituals. The score features irregular and complex rhythms, dissonant harmonies, and a heavy emphasis on percussive elements, creating a sense of intense energy and unpredictability.
The premiere of The Rite of Spring caused a near-riot in the audience due to its avant-garde choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and Stravinsky’s radical music. Over time, however, the work gained recognition as a masterpiece and has since become a cornerstone of modern classical music.
Stravinsky’s innovations in rhythm and orchestration in The Rite of Spring paved the way for new developments in music, influencing countless composers and artists. Today, it remains one of the most studied, performed, and admired compositions in the classical repertoire.
Structure and Synopsis
- Introduction (Introduction) Before the curtain rises, an orchestral introduction resembles, according to Stravinsky, “a swarm of spring pipes”.
- Les Augures printaniers (Augurs of Spring) The celebration of spring begins in the hills. An old woman enters and begins to foretell the future.
- Jeu du rapt (Ritual of Abduction) Young girls arrive from the river, in single file. They begin the “Dance of the Abduction”.
- Rondes printanières (Spring Rounds) The young girls dance the Khorovod, the “Spring Rounds”.
- Jeux des cités rivales (Ritual of the Rival Tribes) The people divide into two groups in opposition to each other, and begin the “Ritual of the Rival Tribes”.
- Cortège du sage: Le Sage (Procession of the Sage: The Sage) A holy procession leads to the entry of the wise elders, headed by the Sage who brings the games to a pause and blesses the earth.
- Danse de la terre (Dance of the Earth) The people break into a passionate dance, sanctifying and becoming one with the earth.
Sources
- The Rite of Spring on Wikipedia
- Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring: why was it so revolutionary and what are its best recordings? on the BBC Classical Music website
- “The Story Behind The Rite Of Spring” on the Classic FM website
