The Rite of Spring

Quantity in Basket: none Code: PMP1-MMS-20-070 Composer: Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Arranger: Mort Shafer Instrumentation: French Horn Octet (includes Treble Clef and Bass Clef parts for Horns 4, 7 & 8) Performance Time: 3:00 Price:$14.00

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This arrangement of The Rite of Spring, commonly referred to by its original French title, Le Sacre du printemps, is a group of excerpts from this ballet by Russian composer, Igor Stravinky. The Rite of Spring is a series of episodes depicting a wild pagan spring ritual: “…the wise elders are seated in a circle and are observing the dance before death of the girl whom they are offering as a sacrifice to the god of Spring in order to gain his benevolence,” said Stravinsky, of the imagery that prompted the genesis of the work. Though the music is capable of standing alone, and was a great success in the concert hall, in conception it is inextricably tied to the action on the stage. However, its opening performances, staged by The Ballets Russes, shocked audiences more accustomed to the demure conventions of classical ballet. The complex music and violent dance steps depicting fertility rites first drew catcalls and whistles from the crowd. The audience began to boo loudly on the first slight discord in the background notes. The supporters and opponents of the work started loud arguments in the audience, eventually creating a riot. The Paris police arrived, but were unable to restore complete order. Chaos reigned for the remainder of the performance, and Stravinsky himself was so upset on account of its reception that he fled the theater in mid-scene, reportedly crying. The ballet did complete its run of seven performances amid controversy, but experienced no further disruption. Although Stravinsky continued to work, he never created pieces in this percussive and intense style again. The Rite of Spring was further popularized through Walt Disney’s Fantasia, an animated feature film in which imaginative visual images and stories are added to classical music.

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