Re:Riot at the Rite.

A combination of the two

The rhythmic,almost brutal and non melodic quality of the music and the radical choreography proved too much for the bourgeois Parisian audience of the time.

A few years "Les Noces" which took the Rite principal even further and with even more radical choreography, provoked no such disturbance.

Check out a good DVD or the audio Bernstein/DG recording of what many consider to be Stravinsky's finest ballet score.

Sister xx

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
Was Stravinsky's, Rite that different in 1913?
Was Nijinsky's choreography the cause.

Yes to both. The "rioting" was more inspired by the choreography, or at least one can conclude that since Monteux led another performance of the music only within a short time of the original premiere and there was no riot. (Of course, by then the Rite may have been old news.) Also, in other places where the original choreography was not used, scandal, or so-called scandal, was absent.

It's worth noting that not all musical authorities believe there was a true riot. Stravinsky wasn't above a bit of self-promotion (to put it mildly), so some of the story should be taken with a grain of salt.


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In "The Rite of Spring", Stravinsky manages to short circuit any sense of harmony, making the rhythm brutally predominant. That is quite different from what audiences had come to expect.

Both the music and choreography worked for me - assuming the TV drama was accurate. I felt I'd have like to have seen it without the interjection of the audience. I know little of Igor Stravinsky, but if this is a sample then I'd like to hear more.

Although, I'm not keen on dance and no fan of ballet - this performance seemed wholly different and much more appealing to me than I expected it to be.

Riot at the Rite was followed by a programme about Roxy Music, not a group I listened to much in my youth and this programme ensured I won't be bothering to listen to any more as I get older and even more grumpy. Did anybody really buy Brian Ferry's records?

Back on topic - what are some recommendations for Igor Stravinsky?

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Back on topic - what are some recommendations for Igor Stravinsky?

Yowza, another potentially big topic!

Rite – Salonen (DG), Stravinsky (1940 recording, various labels), Dorati (Mercury). Also, Salonen led the best version I’ve heard in the late 90s with the Concertgebouw, but I don’t know if it’s on disc. I heard it via radio relay.

Petroushka – Boulez (DG), Paavo Jarvi (Telarc)

Firebird – Dorati (Mercury) [I must confess I’m not a huge fan of this work]

Agon – Michael Tilson Thomas (RCA), Hans Rosbaud (DG) [An underappreciated work!]

Symphony in Three Movements – Ashkenazy (Decca), Stravinsky (60s on CBS/Sony)

Oedipus Rex – Ancerl (Supraphon)

Symphony of Psalms – Celibidache (EMI), Ancerl (Supraphon)



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There is a 2 CD set of the big Stravinsky ballets by Abbado/London on DGG that costs about $18.00 on Amazon. I own over a dozen recordings of these works, and these are my favorites by far.

They are the best I have heard, and maybe among the best of anything London has ever done.

Highly recommended.

The Petrouchka, Rite, Firebird and Pulcinella are impeccable.

Thanks Todd, Mike - I'll track some of these down.

In the book "The Rest is Noise" he said people were upset at the brutal sound but the next night even more people rushed to see it. First time I heard it as a teen I was thrilled but it's something that can drive others nuts.

I'll have to dig out my Salonen recording I was at a couple years ago, it also has the original Night on Bald Mountain, very nice CD.

Oh I must have loaned that one out, 2 other copies of the Rite tho.

I also found Shadow Dances/ Stravinsky miniatures by Orpheus Chamber Orch. Some sound like waltzes and some like Tangos, others are just wonderfully strange in that later period style. it's on DG.

It's always nice to go looking for something and find a lost gem.