Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Performed by the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas
On this DVD, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony present a special recording of “The Rite of Spring” from the Keeping Score series, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Stravinsky’s revolutionary ballet score, the “Rite of Spring”
One hundred years ago, in 1913, a fashionable Parisian audience reacted with hostile frenzy to the premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s new work. The ballet’s shocking music and dance provoked a riot that evening and was soon recognized as perhaps the most revolutionary piece of the 20th century, a reputation it maintains to this day.
Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) opens this DVD from the San Francisco Symphony’s Keeping Score series with the following:
“Funny thing about revolutions, you never know when or where they’re going to start. They can be social or political or artistic, and very often it’s these artistic or cultural revolutions, revolutions in taste, really, that seem to predict other violent changes in society. That’s exactly the case with the Rite of Spring.”
MTT then retraces Igor Stravinsky’s journey to the cultural crossroads of pre-war Paris. There, in collaboration with the great impresario Diaghilev and his star dancer Nijinsky, Stravinsky developed the shocking, erotic, and violent evocation of pagan Russia that became the ballet “Rite of Spring”.
“Keeping Score: Stravinsky” features a thought – provoking documentary and a brilliant live concert performance of Rite of Spring along with additional music from Stravinsky’s ballet, “The Firebird”.
Here is the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas playing Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”.
And next, here is the ending section of San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, playing Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”:
Tags: Stravinsky, San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, Rite of Spring