Stravinsky conducts "Sacre du Printemps" - 1929 - part 2

Stravinsky conducts "Sacre du Printemps" - 1929 - part 2

First part : L'adoration de la Terre (A Kiss of the Earth )
- Jeu de rapt ( ritual of abduction )
- Rondes printanier ( spring rounds )
- Jeux des cités rivale ( ritual of the two rival tribes )
- Cortège du sage ( procession of the oldest and wisest one )
- Adoration de la terre (le sage) ( The kiss of the earth ( the sage ))
- Danse de la terre ( the dancing out of the earth )

This is a legendary recording of Stravinsky conducting "The rite of spring" with the "Orchestre Symfonique de Paris" . It could be the premiere recording, but I'm not sure, as there's also the Pierre Monteux recording of the same year. (Pierre Monteux having conducted the premiere performance)

The Rite of Spring was a ballet, created in 1913, with a choreography by Vaslav Nijisky, set and costume designs by Nicholas Roerich, and Stravinsky as composer. The premiere performance in Paris caused a total scandal and riot, as audiences at that time, being used to the classical ballet were shocked by the primitive, chaotic nature of the performance and composition.
Stravinsky clarified the subject when he wrote in 1910 : "... there arose a picture of a sacred pagan 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."
Leonard Bernstein once said about a passage :"That page is sixty years old, but it's never been topped for sophisticated handling of primitive rhythms..."

It's remarkable how clear the different instruments come out in this recording, which is amazing considering the limited technical possibilities in 1929.
I've added some original pictures from early performances and shoots, which will give you a better idea of the whole.
Enjoy !

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sacre
• printemps
• rite
• spring
• stravinsky
• ballet
• historical
• shellac
• nijisky
• roerich

[Rockdrummer365]

Volcanos

[Rockdrummer365]

With dinosaurs

[Rockdrummer365]

This was used in Fantasia. For the creation of the world sequence.

[juliaharlow6]

He did and he didn't (write it for a ballet). He definitely had the ballet in mind, the flow of the story, and telling that in the music, but Nijinsky choreographed to the music. The music was not written to a choreography. The music came first, then the choreography.

[fatovamingus]

I may be wrong, but Stravinsky did not write Le Sacre du Printemps for a ballet. Its tempo was eratic and undanceable and he was somewhat forced to slow it down by Diaghilev for a while until they broke. Ozawa's 68 recording was exactly what Stravinsky wanted. Check it out on my channel. Gergiev conducts this like a dirge. I don't know. I could be wrong but watch that clip of Stravinsky rushing through the end of The Firebird. -Fatova

[yanpan16]

thanks so much for putting this up! genius!

[meowkie]

I understand the "final draft" of the Rite of Spring -- that is, the draft Stravinsky never revised again -- never came until the end of the fifties. Is that true?? Because if so, I can believe it. If any conductor ever played the Spring Rounds this fast, they would be booed into oblivion.