Stravinsky, Rite of Spring (ballet, 1913)

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I found the piece enjoyable, but only to the end that it puzzled me throughout causing me to want to understand it more and more. It starts off with a bassoon, which sounds mysterious which is only compounded by whirring wind instruments. It isn’t clear at any point whether the piece is major or minor, but there seem to be elements of both.

At 3:31 the cacophony ends and we appear to go back to the beginning. Shortly after the curtain goes up and we are introduced to a puzzling scene, which brings up the question of to what extent we must consider the action of the ballet alongside the music. Is it a necessary accompaniment or just complementary. For example, the stomping  and clapping one hears may be a component of the music that Stravinsky intended the audience to enjoy, providing a marching rhythm to accompany the instruments. On the other hand it’s easy to imagine following the narrative without the ballet.

The music came together strongly producing tangible effects. For example around 10:50-11:15 there is a sense of gravity to the piece as the main tone becomes lower, more focused on horns in a way making it crescendo grimly then drop down to only shift from 11:16 to 11:30 where there is a lot of  movement and action, which then just dissipates into a light airy sound. This is done through the shifting in instrumentation, tempo, and key even using two keys at the same time. Stravinsky has these wild shift, particularly noticeable at 14:30 where there is a pause, low instrumentation, then a break out into fast, turbulent sound which abruptly ends after part 1.

The second introduction seems to flow very well, inciting that same eerie feeling. It continues to puzzle, but to that end entices the listener forward. At 23:30 we begin to hear a very familiar tune, with rhythmic drums and a somewhat sliding back and forth crescendo. A sense of suspense is maintained throughout, which seems to build at 28.20 come into catharsis only to go back at 28:45. When the figure in the middle is surrounded by creatures one expects a release, but there never is one as the figure simply collapses and the piece ends.

Overall I found the piece very interesting yet, as with many of the more recent pieces, had a hard time identifying what exactly the innovation was. It sounded “off” in that it didn’t fit with the classical mold that we were first introduced with, but identifying what made it sound off was difficult, perhaps because of my inexperience or perhaps because there were many things contributing to that feeling.

48 thoughts on “Stravinsky, Rite of Spring (ballet, 1913)”

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    Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring truly challenges expectations. The shifting instrumentation and jarring tempo changes create a unique, almost unsettling experience. The ballet’s narrative adds another layer to the music, prompting questions about its necessity. The piece’s gravity at times feels like navigating a challenging level in Slope Game, constantly adjusting to the changing landscape. The abrupt shifts and unresolved tension keep you on edge, much like trying to stay on the platform in a fast-paced game.

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