The Rite of Spring (French: Le Sacre du printemps; Russian: Весна священная, Vesna svyashchennaya), is a ballet and orchestral work composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1913. It is considered one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century due to its groundbreaking music, choreography, and the scandal it caused at its premiere.
Stravinsky was inspired by a vision of a pagan ritual in which a chosen maiden dances herself to death as a sacrifice to ensure the tribe's prosperity for the forthcoming season. The composition was commissioned by the Ballets Russes, a ballet company directed by Sergei Diaghilev. The music was completed in 1913, with the premiere taking place on May 29, 1913, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky, known for his radical and unconventional dance movements, which were far from the traditional ballet techniques of the time. The set and costume designs were created by Nicholas Roerich, who drew inspiration from Slavic folklore and pre-Christian rites.
The premiere of The Rite of Spring was notorious for the audience's reaction. The dissonant music, the unusual choreography, and the primitive setting led to a riot-like atmosphere in the theater. Reports vary, but it's widely noted that there were fights in the aisles, laughter, and even some police intervention. The tumult has since been attributed to the shock of the avant-garde art form challenging the traditional expectations of ballet audiences.
The piece is divided into two parts:
Despite its initial reception, The Rite of Spring has become a cornerstone of modern classical music. It influenced not only the music of the 20th century but also dance, visual arts, and even literature. Its complex rhythms, dissonance, and use of bitonality were groundbreaking. Stravinsky himself revised the score several times, and there have been numerous interpretations and productions of the ballet since its premiere.