Igor Stravinsky rehearses Apollo and discusses the riot at the premiere of The Rite of Spring, Paris, 1913. This is the kind of rare sound-archive we are ever so blessed to have access to. Stravinsky debuted the The Rite of Spring Ballet at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on May 29, 1913, to an audience accustomed to the grace, elegance, and traditional music of conventional ballets, i.e. Tchaikovskys Swan Lake. Opposition to Stravinskys work literally happened within the first few minutes of the piece as members of the audience booed loudly in response to the inharmonic notes accompanying the unrecognizable bassoons opening solo. As the ballet progressed, so did the audiences discomfort. Those in favour of Stravinksys work argued with those in opposition. The arguments eventually turned to brawls and police had to be notified. They arrived at intermission and successfully calmed the angry crowd (yes, the show wasnt even half way over before people were throwing punches). As the second half commenced, police were unable to keep the audience under control and rioting resumed. Stravinsky was so taken aback by the audiences reaction, he fled the scene before the show was over. ~ Aaron Green/About Entertainment Transfusions *•.¸☆
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 02:45:37 +0000
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