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Rite that caused riots: celebrating 100 years of The Rite of Spring
The Guardian ^ | 5/27/2013 | Kim Willsher

Posted on 05/29/2013 6:20:53 AM PDT by Borges

Stravinsky's work caused a scandal in 1913 but has since been recognized as one of the 20th century's most important pieces.

The audience, packed into the newly-opened Théâtre des Champs-Élysées to the point of standing room only, had neither seen nor heard anything like it.

As the first few bars of the orchestral work The Rite of Spring – Le Sacre du Printemps – by the young, little-known Russian composer Igor Stravinsky sounded, there was a disturbance in the audience. It was, according to some of those present – who included Marcel Proust, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy – the sound of derisive laughter.

By the time the curtain rose to reveal ballet dancers stomping the stage, the protests had reached a crescendo. The orchestra and dancers, choreographed by the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky, continued but it was impossible to hear the music above what Stravinsky described as a "terrific uproar".

As a riot ensured, two factions in the audience attacked each other, then the orchestra, which kept playing under a hail of vegetables and other objects. Forty people were forcibly ejected.

The reviews were merciless. "The work of a madman … sheer cacophony," wrote the composer Puccini. "A laborious and puerile barbarity," added Le Figaro's critic, Henri Quittard.

It was 29 May 1913. Classical music would never be the same again.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: 1913; ballet; classicalmusic; diaghilev; france; igorstravinsky; lesacreduprintemps; nijinsky; paris; riteofspring; sergeidiaghilev; stravinsky; theriteofspring; vaslavnijinsky
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To: COBOL2Java

***”The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”..****

I noticed they were gone before that.


41 posted on 05/29/2013 8:33:03 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Sometimes you need 7+ more ammo. LOTS MORE.)
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To: dangus

Yes.


42 posted on 05/29/2013 8:45:52 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: Savage Beast

Hopefully I communicated some level of ignorance in my original post.


43 posted on 05/29/2013 8:47:26 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: Borges

Yes, indeed, today is the day!


44 posted on 05/29/2013 9:32:24 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: left that other site

which is totally based on Opinion”

Totally?

Well..that is an opinion, I suppose....


45 posted on 05/29/2013 9:33:20 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: SomeCallMeTim

And, there’s been an explosion of EXCELLENT choral writing.”

Morten Lauridsen.....


46 posted on 05/29/2013 9:40:45 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: ConservativeDude

Totally.

LOL

But that of course, is just my opinion.


47 posted on 05/29/2013 9:50:49 AM PDT by left that other site (You Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Set You Free...John 8:32)
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To: COBOL2Java; All

Anyone that likes “Fantasia” ought to love “Allegro Non Troppo” an Italian parody of Fantasia. It has great animations set to beautiful music. I highly recommend it.

For more information, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegro_Non_Troppo

My favorite segment is Ravel’s “Bolero”, a visual masterpiece, the film’s counterpart to “The Rite of Spring”. It represents a funny take on the origins of life and evolution.


48 posted on 05/29/2013 10:23:29 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: TexasRepublic

The “Bolero” segment from “Allegro Non Troppo”. Be sure to watch it the highest resolution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6aM7st6Xsw


49 posted on 05/29/2013 10:53:25 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: Boogieman

Interesting; my source was a presentation about how cultures differentiate between basic colors in a certain pattern. (Grey-green splits vs. Blue-green splits). But the online etymology agrees with you.


50 posted on 05/29/2013 12:32:43 PM PDT by dangus (Poverty cannot be eradicated as long as the poor remain dependent on the state - Pope Francis)
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To: Borges

I don’t know if this is a true story, but I recall hearing that there was quite a to-do when Rossini introduced this piece - the musicians thought it was sacrilege to tap with their bows and threatened to walk out on him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKUJvGBtAkM


51 posted on 05/29/2013 1:02:26 PM PDT by mrs. a (It's a short life but a merry one...)
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To: dangus

Sounds like a talk an artist might give. Maybe they took some artistic license :)


52 posted on 05/29/2013 5:51:56 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: ConservativeDude
Morten Lauridsen.....

Yep... he's a great one! Shining Night? Magnum Mysterium?? Great works..

But, also.. Rene Clausen has written and arranged some WONDERFUL pieces... I've had the great pleasure of meeting him 3 times, and singing for him twice.

Have to include Rutter and Britten too..... there's been some very good choral music written in the past 100 years.

53 posted on 05/29/2013 5:52:44 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: knarf

If I had a tomato... I would THROW it!

YUK!


54 posted on 05/29/2013 6:01:03 PM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: Borges
I can't see striking another person for it, but I didn't get it first either. Love it now. Shelling the orchestra with fruit, however, that strikes me as a little cold, but I have heard orchestras that deserved it. Shelling conductors with fruit - I wouldn't say that more than 50% of them deserve it, some on general principle.
55 posted on 05/29/2013 6:10:58 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar; Borges
"Even at my favorite table...He can beat my best!
His disciples lead him in...he just does the rest!"

56 posted on 05/30/2013 3:48:32 AM PDT by Tainan (Cogito, ergo conservatus sum -- "The Taliban is inside the building")
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Thank you for the tip. Will put Rene Clausen on spotify now!!!!


57 posted on 05/30/2013 5:23:24 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: ConservativeDude

Check out his “Allelujah”..... one of my favorite pieces to perform.


58 posted on 05/30/2013 7:34:25 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: Borges

The consumer has spoken with their dollar. They won’t pay for the ballet.


59 posted on 06/02/2013 5:34:37 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: 1010RD

These days there’s much more radical than this ballet. The music is good enough to stand on its own though so people have dispensed with the dance. Ballet doesn’t have the following that music does.


60 posted on 06/02/2013 6:38:51 PM PDT by Borges
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