On Tuesday, October 2, 2007, The Philadelphia Orchestra opens its 2007-08 Access Concert Series with "Riot at the Ballet," an exploration of this explosive score.
Debussy described it as "savage," Puccini called it "pure cacophony," and a Paris newspaper said it was "astonishing," but Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring has survived the test of time as a modern masterpiece. Music Director Christoph Eschenbach conducts and Music Animateur Thomas Cabaniss serves as host, explaining the sound world Stravinsky created to tell the ballet's story of spring – and a virgin sacrifice – in prehistoric Russia. Below are five great reasons to experience the score that scandalized early audiences and still has the power to shock contemporary ears:
1. It caused a riot at its premiere in Paris. Not many pieces of classical music can make that claim, but The Rite of Spring had an infamous opening night. Its dissonant harmonies, jarring rhythms, primitive choreography, outrageous costumes, and bizarre story weren't exactly classical ballet fare. Soon the audience's protests smothered the sound of the orchestra, and Stravinsky went back stage to find the choreographer shouting at the dancers while the producer flashed the house lights in an unsuccessful ploy to pacify the patrons.
2. The opening bassoon part is the classical equivalent of a Van Halen guitar solo. The Rite of Spring opens with sounds that no one had imagined a bassoon could make. Mr. Cabaniss claims that the solo "transformed how bassoonists think of their instrument in much the same way that Eddie Van Halen's 'Eruption' revolutionized solo guitar playing." The Orchestra's principal bassoon, Daniel Matsukawa, used to sing in a punk band, so he's sure to have interesting insights on the comparison. Come to the concert to hear him explain.
3. It's a Philadelphia tradition. Leopold Stokowski was The Philadelphia Orchestra's music director when Stravinsky rose to fame. Stokowski and the Orchestra introduced numerous modern works to the U.S., including Stravinsky's scandalous ballet. Below are some facts about The Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, and The Rite of Spring:
o U.S. premiere of concert version: 1922.
o First American recording: 1929, BMG.
o U.S. premiere of staged version: 1930. Modern dance pioneer Martha Graham danced the principal role of the sacrificial virgin. The production was performed in Philadelphia and New York, and it landed Stokowski on the cover of Time.
o Disney's Fantasia soundtrack: 1938. Disney's creative team took the prehistoric theme literally and set the Orchestra's performance of Rite to a sequence depicting evolution up to the time of the dinosaurs.
4. Stravinsky was the Picasso, the Dali, and the Warhol of classical music. In other words, he was one of those revolutionary artists whose influence is everywhere—and the revolution began with the riotous The Rite of Spring. Some people hated it, others loved it, but pretty much everyone now agrees that it changed the course of classical music.
5. Finally, as Leonard Bernstein reportedly said, "It's all about sex!" That may be taking things a little far, but there's definitely something primal in the music's pounding pulse, its harsh harmonies, and the virgins' wild fertility dance that still sounds scandalous today.
The Philadelphia Orchestra's Access Concert Series is designed for listeners who are new to or curious about classical music. It is made up of four lower-priced, 75-minute concerts that start at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Cabaniss and the conductor use explanations and excerpts to take listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of the musical process. Each concert closes with a full performance of the featured work.
Afterwards, audiences can get to know the Orchestra's musicians through a free Postlude Recital or at a Meet & Mingle held at the Kimmel Center or a local restaurant or bar. Additional performances of The Rite of Spring: In addition to the Access performance, The Rite of Spring is featured on the first two subscription weeks of the 2007-08 season. -- www.philorch.org
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