Then The Curtain Opened: The Bracing Impact Of Stravinsky's 'Rite'

NPR offers another great audio file that discusses the unexpected reception during the first performance of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring". According to the introduction:

One hundred years ago this week, a ballet premiered that changed the art world. Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps — The Rite of Spring — was first seen by the public on May 29, 1913, in Paris. As the orchestra played The Rite's swirling introduction, the audience at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées began to murmur. Then the curtain opened.

Dancers dressed in folkloric costumes began to move unpredictably to the pounding chords. In the theater, the rumbles grew to pandemonium — hoots and jeers, arguments and even fistfights between traditionalists and modernists in the audience. It became difficult to hear the music.

Here is the link:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2013/05/25/186497792/then-the-curtain-opened-the-bracing-impact-of-stravinskys-rite

This is truly an enjoyable story about this event and the way that the human brain hears music and sound. Very entertaining and informative.

Please share your thoughts and experiences on Igor Stravinsky, "The Rite of Spring" or experiencing an audience react to a piece of art that was unexpected.

Peace,

Annette DeMaggio

www.songsofjoymi.com