I was very excited to listen to Le Sacre du Printemp mostly because of its reputation to incite chaotic behavior. The over all impression I had of the piece was funky and off beat, but is it really riot material?

First of all, I think that it is worth noting that the Rite of Spring is accompanied by a ballet, and the both the music and the ballet were “avant-garde” for the time. That’s a loaded statement, but I think that means that it breaks all the boundaries of music before it (a running theme in the music we listen to). The chaotic and whimsical feel of the music is projected by even more chaotic and borderline abstract dancing, and they are intimately connected. In a way, this style is new and we’ve never really heard anything like it before. However, it still has many recognizable traits of music. After all, the ballet (and music) tells a story, and there is a plot that unfolds. It revolves around spring, and its mysticism. I think this makes it very similar to opera, which conveys also an epic plot involving mythology and a performance.

I guess to many people, the wild music and dancing can be hectic or primitive, but it has definite structure and character. Throughout the entirety of the piece, Stravinsky builds tension by using stamping chords with the horns and string instruments. But honestly I didn’t really think that the Rite of Spring is the most funky and different piece we’ve heard (that might always be reserved for the pierre lunaire).