Stravinsky on The Rite of Spring #2

In an interview from the early 60's by Janos Darvas I believe, Igor Stravinsky humorously recalls playing The Rite of Spring for Sergei Diaghilev whose company, The Ballet Russes, would be dancing to this groundbreaking, albeit bizarre, score. One doesn't imagine Stravinsky to be humorous but this isn't the only light clip I've seen. All these clips from the same interview are thrown all over the internet with no source or sequence. I have no rights to any of it but I'm reposting it with some commentary. It's historically significant and these hacks are just throwing it around without any documentation. I hate people.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Stravinsky
• Diaghilev
• riot
• Rite
• of
• Spring
• stupid
• editing

[NevinJarek]

What does he mean when he say that people came to see Sheherezade and Cleopatra? Were they some dancers? Or does he mean something else?

[fatovamingus]

@NevinJarek He speaks of how the "Riot" crowd came expecting to see ballets like Cleopatra or Sheherezade and were stunned at what they found in the very advanced Rite of Spring.

[sidnyhop]

Wonderful interview and thanks for posting it., but just to clarify, this interview is not from the 1970's. Stravinsky died in 1971, and judging from comparisons to his demeanor in other interviews and photos, most likely this interview is from the early to middle 1960's.

[fatovamingus]

@sidnyhop yes, it's NorthWetherlyDrive . Excellent channel.

[jesemus33]

at 3:06...ha....Naif people....i love it....the same for rap music Igor

[NevinJarek]

@fatovamingus Oh, they were ballets? thanks for the reply =)

[MrAkihiros]

@fatovamingus Thank you for that very informative comment. Not withstanding his personal likability I want your personal opinion on this matter. Once again thanks for posting this.

[fatovamingus]

@MrAkihiros There are 2 schools of thought on Craft: exploiting hanger-on and sincere assistant. I subscribe to the former. He is petty, he has attempted to discredit anyone who disagrees with him,he isolated the maestro at the end of his life...watch Once at a Border, the scene with Mrs. Stravinsky and Craft. I don't think she liked him. It's a telling moment, I think.

[MrAkihiros]

@sidnyhop Whatever happened to Craft and how has history judged him musically despite his impenetrable attachment to the maestro. Is Craft really gifted or is he some lucky hangerson.

[sidnyhop]

@fatovamingus I'll check out the channel. Thanks. And by the way, a touch of Robert Craft, or Crafty Robert as I like to say, is okay. But all of this is just so wonderful to see. I feel the same kind of awe I would experience if someone posted an interview with Beethoven.

[fatovamingus]

@sidnyhop You're absolutely right. I wasn't paying attention to dates at the time of the posting. This was from Janos Darvas' interviews I think, wasn't it? 63 to 65 was it? I should have taken the time to not only get the date right but edit out Robert Craft. Thank you for bringing this to my attention though. I have to correct it. Have you seen the Stravinsky channel? Its listed in my subscribtions...I forget the name!