Thoughts on the Rite of Spring?

It is still pretty disturbing to contemporary eyes. (Maybe I just don’t understand modern dance. That is quite possible.) I do not remember why it was seen as so upsetting in 1913.

But I do know that this was just the last and most famous in a long line of European theater riots. Audiences used to be much more participatory!

Rite was my introduction to Stravinsky. I was 20-something at the time, and the music, dissonance and all, absolutely knocked me out. I was never much attracted to the ballet, only the music, and it still gives me chills to this day.

It’s one of my favorite pieces of music.

I recently watched the video of Martha Graham Dance Company. The music is powerful and the dancing is very intense. I can understand why it was shocking for the time. The idea of a pagan ritual is light years away from classical ballets’ images of swans and romance. It has elements of ritual, bondage, barely veiled sexuality. Martha Graham was such a fierce personality and it really shows in this dance. I love the Halston costumes in the video. I think they perfectly suit the action and complement it.

I’m reading her autobiography right now and it’s really interesting. I am trying to get tickets to see Rite of Spring at Jacob’s Pillow, performed by the Martha Graham Dance Company.
Here is a little history of the reactions the ballet and the music received at the premeire 100 years ago.

Although it was written as a ballet, normally it’s not performed that way. I’ve seen it performed a number of times, but never as a ballet—I’d like to though.

I don’t really like Stravinsky. I’m a fan of other Russians: Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakoc, Prokofiev…
Rite of Spring was a piece I had to analyze for Music Appreciation. Objectively, and speaking from a technical musical standpoint, it was musical ingenuity and originality at best.
Subjectively, I hated the sound of it.