I discovered this music due to it being at the start of Nocturne the Siouxsie and the Banshees live concert from 1983. Never seems right without it immediately going into 'Irael' by them.
I saw the Joffrey Ballet version before this, and it had a lot of wonderful aspects (and being the first on Youtube is one of them)(at least the first I saw); this version had a lot of wonderful aspects, too, yet different- different minute human characteristics came through; in both one wonders how close to Nijinsky's vision they came, and further, how close to the prehistoric mindset Nijinsky came; the music in both are great; a wooden stage would have been better- I missed the stomping...!
A pretty good version of the Rite of Spring, although I preferred the Joffrey Ballet version that is elsewhere on this site, with Beatriz Rodriguez as The Chosen One. I thought the orchestra was OK, but something horrible seemed to be happening to the drums at the end of Part 3 and the beginning of Part 4. The Chosen One seemed to dance quite slowly, but that may be just my personal tastes. My favourite dancing in this version was in Act 1, even if the camera work on it wasn't very good.
@mightyzebra Nothing "horrible seemed to be happening to the drums" where you mentioned, it's actually a timpani solo that usually gets buried in recordings and performances but which here is finally allowed to come through--barbarically, as Stravinsky intended. Check out Riccardo Muti's recording at this point--same thing.
maybe less understanding and more feeling would help you get in the space between the notes. this is definitely music which hits you in the gut and not so much in the cerebrum, although it takes a well-tuned cerebrum to play it. good luck. once you're in there it is amazing. nice performance too, i liked gergiev giving the timpanist free rein with dynamics.
I'm currently working on overcoming an irrational phobia of it this very minute, as a matter of fact...I bear testimony that it is hard to understand indeed. I hope one day I'll be as open minded and as free as you are.
I discovered this music due to it being at the start of Nocturne the Siouxsie and the Banshees live concert from 1983. Never seems right without it immediately going into 'Irael' by them.
Nirejhenge4 5 months ago in playlist rite of spring
You feel such sympathy for the Chosen Maiden in those anguished closeups of her face.
al1936ful 1 year ago
I saw the Joffrey Ballet version before this, and it had a lot of wonderful aspects (and being the first on Youtube is one of them)(at least the first I saw); this version had a lot of wonderful aspects, too, yet different- different minute human characteristics came through; in both one wonders how close to Nijinsky's vision they came, and further, how close to the prehistoric mindset Nijinsky came; the music in both are great; a wooden stage would have been better- I missed the stomping...!
wbiro 1 year ago
A pretty good version of the Rite of Spring, although I preferred the Joffrey Ballet version that is elsewhere on this site, with Beatriz Rodriguez as The Chosen One. I thought the orchestra was OK, but something horrible seemed to be happening to the drums at the end of Part 3 and the beginning of Part 4. The Chosen One seemed to dance quite slowly, but that may be just my personal tastes. My favourite dancing in this version was in Act 1, even if the camera work on it wasn't very good.
mightyzebra 1 year ago
@mightyzebra Nothing "horrible seemed to be happening to the drums" where you mentioned, it's actually a timpani solo that usually gets buried in recordings and performances but which here is finally allowed to come through--barbarically, as Stravinsky intended. Check out Riccardo Muti's recording at this point--same thing.
sensenderfer 1 year ago
Absolutely amazing. Stravinsky - what a genius. Listened to Gergiev conduct this score with the LSO and it blew me away.
TheMarkEllams 1 year ago
maybe less understanding and more feeling would help you get in the space between the notes. this is definitely music which hits you in the gut and not so much in the cerebrum, although it takes a well-tuned cerebrum to play it. good luck. once you're in there it is amazing. nice performance too, i liked gergiev giving the timpanist free rein with dynamics.
tzhuff 1 year ago
Most people don't even begin to understand this music. Watching the dance helps a few, but most still just can't take the music.
0GreatMerlin 2 years ago 7
I'm currently working on overcoming an irrational phobia of it this very minute, as a matter of fact...I bear testimony that it is hard to understand indeed. I hope one day I'll be as open minded and as free as you are.
meowkie 1 year ago
@0GreatMerlin And I think there's an exaggeration about this music - its anecdotes, etc. Because it's extremely CATCHING. Its rhythms move your SOUL.
olivleonardo 4 months ago
absolutely amazing.
BGlogowski 2 years ago 5