Originally Published on May 31, 2018
The Song of the Day is:
Igor Stravinsky – “Rite of Spring Part 1: Adoration of the Earth”
Originally Premiered in 1913
Russian emigrant Igor Stravinsky is held in very high regard, some may say that he was the best composer of the twentieth century. He was an ability to grow and evolve to new musical trends without losing his own personal style. Part of his signature sound was his rhythmic emphasis, critics have noted that the rhythm in “Rite of Spring” is almost industrial in nature. “Spring”, or “Le Sacre Du Printemps” as it was known in French, was famous for bitonality (two key played simultaneously) and its use of ostinato (which rock and roll fans would know as a “riff”). This music was paired with a radical ballet choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, both the music auditory and visual component to this piece were considered to be avant-garde and shocking at the time. The famous 1913 Paris premier was met with hostility by some attendees, who heckled and threw objects at the orchestra. Roughly forty people were ejected to prevent a situation which could have resulted in a riot. Reviews were mixed as well, with some critics wholly denouncing the work. Today it is considered to be one of the most important pieces of music of the twentieth century. Notably, it was included in the animated 1940 Walt Disney film Fantasia, where it was used in a sequence that saw the origin of the universe and the development of earth up to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Hear Today, Grown Tomorrow 