Igor Stravinski's "Rite of Spring"
Igor Stravinski's "Rite of Spring" is arguably one of the most controversial ballets of all time. It is popular for triggering a riot among the audience on its debut. Music enthusiasts opine that the audience was elated by the barbaric dissonance and rhythms inherent in the piece. "Rite of Passage" is set in a prehistoric community of pagan Russia and depicts an annual ceremony where elders choose and sacrifice a virgin girl to appease the gods. Stravinski uses unconventional music to bring the traditional rite of spring to life. The music, which is between traditional Russian style and modern dance creates a distance between the audience and the pagans on the stage and enhance the tension.
Depicting Nature
Stravinski succeeds in depicting nature. The rhythmic structure, the meter changes, and unconventional time signatures reflect the calm, but at times the chaotic state of nature. The composer makes it sound like birds and beast wiggin and scratching by employing rhythmic and tonal variations. To highlight the primitive nature of the tribal dance, Stravinski uses unconventional orchestra sounds and chords as well as irregular rhythms. One can envision a young girl in the intensity of the music as the rhythm depicts the dwindling energy of the victim. Later, at 4.30, the tone changes give an illusion of the wise men deliberating on whom to choose for the sacrifice. The heavy drum sounds at 5.30 make it sound as if the wise men have made their decision on the girl they intend to sacrifice. What follows is a skillful blend of rhythm, sounds, and tonal variations that depict both jubilations among the members of the primitive tribe and sorrow among the girls for losing a colleague. As earlier stated, the "Rite of Spring" encompasses barbaric rhythms and dissonances that create an aura of tension and violence. As a result, it received a negative reception during its debut on May 29, 1913. Personally, I concur with its first audience that the melodies and themes were not popular at the time it premiered. However, I was thrilled by Stravinski's ability to integrate classical ballet and modern dance.
