Rite of Spring was the intro music for a famous pair of Siouxsie and the Banshees concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 1983, which were recorded for posterity. I wasn't 'there' (much too young!) but my friend Jim was. Later, l owned the video of the gig/s and the double live album, Nocturne.
This was the first place I heard it, or even heard of it, I think, and it was only later that I read about the piece and the impact it had on first performance, which I assume is why they chose it. In fact I might have read about it in interviews with the band, it's very much the sort of thing I've learned from the Banshees, in that patchwork sort of way you had to find stuff out pre-Internet.
The 6 minute opening-of-Rite-of-Spring-compilation felt like a demented dance off between the steam trains from Thomas and the Tank Engine!
I first heard the piece in Lisbon when a work colleague invited me to a dress rehearsal at the Gulbenkian (her mother was in the orchestra) and I was blown away.
I too have lloved it since my teens, although I've not listened to it for some time, so thank you for the prompt. Even snippets are exciting to hear, still.
A decade or so ago I worked in a gift shop and The Rite of Spring was one of the 20 or so classical CDs we had to choose from as our shop soundtrack. Its changes in pace and volume; its whole structure, in fact, make it completely unsuitable as gentle plinky background music to browse to - so naturally it was my CD of choice.
An adjacent topic perhaps but I remember doing my undergrad dissertation on Disney’s Fantasia and I looked at why some pieces became more critically acclaimed than others. So the Rite of Spring and the Big Bang/evolution/dinosaur montage featured quite heavily. I loved researching it and remember seeing a Diaghilev exhibition in the V&A shortly after where they had some of the original costumes!
Thank you for this delightful reflection. I first heard it when my father took me to a Baltimore Symphony concert. I was about 8. I was so enthralled that I cried when it ended. My father bought me a recording, which I nearly wore out. Thus began my love affair with 20th century music, which has continued. I’ve never played it in concert, but did study it on violin and horn. It is one of the great creations of humanity.
I, too, had a phase of obsession with this piece and wore out my recording (Maazel/Cleveland). I found conducting it far more thrilling than playing it. The 2+3s etc. were not a problem for me (they followed ok) but, to this day, I still don’t know how you’re supposed to bring in the semiquaver (+ preceding grace notes) before the final chord. Or is that the orchestra’s problem?!?
I haven’t watched all your linked videos yet but I think I am going to enjoy them immensely. I’ve got my money’s worth for the rest of the year with this post alone!
Rite of Spring was the intro music for a famous pair of Siouxsie and the Banshees concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in 1983, which were recorded for posterity. I wasn't 'there' (much too young!) but my friend Jim was. Later, l owned the video of the gig/s and the double live album, Nocturne.
This was the first place I heard it, or even heard of it, I think, and it was only later that I read about the piece and the impact it had on first performance, which I assume is why they chose it. In fact I might have read about it in interviews with the band, it's very much the sort of thing I've learned from the Banshees, in that patchwork sort of way you had to find stuff out pre-Internet.
The 37 versions are fascinating, even to a non-musician like me. Particularly like the player piano roll that tops & tails the piece
Yes, it’s good to have it bookended with those.
The 6 minute opening-of-Rite-of-Spring-compilation felt like a demented dance off between the steam trains from Thomas and the Tank Engine!
I first heard the piece in Lisbon when a work colleague invited me to a dress rehearsal at the Gulbenkian (her mother was in the orchestra) and I was blown away.
The kind of thing you never forget the first time you heard it.
I too have lloved it since my teens, although I've not listened to it for some time, so thank you for the prompt. Even snippets are exciting to hear, still.
A decade or so ago I worked in a gift shop and The Rite of Spring was one of the 20 or so classical CDs we had to choose from as our shop soundtrack. Its changes in pace and volume; its whole structure, in fact, make it completely unsuitable as gentle plinky background music to browse to - so naturally it was my CD of choice.
And did the customers share your enthusiasm?
Nobody ever said anything. Very British of them.
The 37 versions felt like a disconcerting train journey.
But fascinating
Yes, unsettling. There’s another one in a similar vein that I’ll share in a future Six Things.
An adjacent topic perhaps but I remember doing my undergrad dissertation on Disney’s Fantasia and I looked at why some pieces became more critically acclaimed than others. So the Rite of Spring and the Big Bang/evolution/dinosaur montage featured quite heavily. I loved researching it and remember seeing a Diaghilev exhibition in the V&A shortly after where they had some of the original costumes!
Those Diaghilev ballets must have been spectacular to see at the time.
Thank you for this delightful reflection. I first heard it when my father took me to a Baltimore Symphony concert. I was about 8. I was so enthralled that I cried when it ended. My father bought me a recording, which I nearly wore out. Thus began my love affair with 20th century music, which has continued. I’ve never played it in concert, but did study it on violin and horn. It is one of the great creations of humanity.
It is indeed.
I, too, had a phase of obsession with this piece and wore out my recording (Maazel/Cleveland). I found conducting it far more thrilling than playing it. The 2+3s etc. were not a problem for me (they followed ok) but, to this day, I still don’t know how you’re supposed to bring in the semiquaver (+ preceding grace notes) before the final chord. Or is that the orchestra’s problem?!?
I haven’t watched all your linked videos yet but I think I am going to enjoy them immensely. I’ve got my money’s worth for the rest of the year with this post alone!
That final chord is open to several interpretations, and takes a bit of a rehearsal. I’ve usually conducted it with a big sort of heave of an upbeat.