Stravinsky Week 3

Le Sacre du Printemps

French name for Rite of Spring. This was the third ballet composed for Diaghilev (1913). Comes from primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring; where a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death. At its premiere, caused a riot and they set fire to the ballet house.

Nicholas Roerich

visionary who helped shape the idea and story of the Rite of Spring with Stravinsky

Pagan

a combination of multiple religious traditions that existed before major Christianity

Primitive

comes from the word meaning one, or singular. Means original, basic, archaic

Propitiate

to win favor to please someone

Le Roi des ètoiles

French name for a cantata by Stravinsky (1911). Also known as The Star-Faced One. The work is rarely performed because it has an extremely large orchestra. The piece was dedicated to Claude Debussy. Debussy thought the work was extraordinary as it was complex yet short

The Augurs of Spring

the famous section of the Rite of Spring that uses pounding, dissonant chords

Who did Stravinsky dedicate the Rite of Spring to?

Roerich

When and where was the Rite of Spring premiered?

1913, Paris in the Theatre des Champs-Elysées

Vaslav Nijinsky

original choreographer for The Rite of Spring

Olivier Messiaen

A French composer who was captured during WWII and placed in a concentration camp. While in the camp, he continued to compose and wrote The Quartet for the End of Time

Additive Rhythm

used extensively by Messiaen, the idea comes from Indian music. Often uses asymmetrical meters that are broken into smaller units of uneven length.

Two Poems of Konstantin Balmont

A short song cycle by Stravinsky for voice and piano. It includes two songs: Forget-me-nots and The Dove.

What are the names of the two parts of the Rite of Spring?

Part 1: Adoration of the Earth; Part Two: The Sacrifice