Music Library Exhibit: The Rite of Spring Centennial

The Music Library's exhibit case is set for the fall, and features a recently received manuscript facsimile of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

The Rite of Spring, a ballet depicting “scenes from pagan Russia,” and culminating in the sacrifice of an adolescent girl through dance, is known for its harsh dissonance and driving rhythm. It is also remembered for its notoriously riotous premiere on May 29, 1913, by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, with choreography by Vaclav Nijinsky. This exhibit case contains a recently published manuscript facsimile of The Rite of Spring:

Stravinsky, Igor. Le Sacre du printemps: Facsimile of the Autograph Full Score. Edited by Ulrich Mosch. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013.

Note that the titles at the top of the title page are given in Russian (Весна священная – this is Romanized and found in library catalogs as Vesna svi︠a︡shchennai︠a︡) and French (Le Sacre du Printemps).

The case also contains an early account of the first performances of the work from the June 8, 1913 issue of the New York Times.
You may wish to consult the following titles for further reading:

Benjamin, George. “How Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has Shaped 100 Years of Music.” The Guardian, May 28, 2013.

Hill, Peter. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Call no. MUX ML410.S932 H55 2000

You may access a video recording of Simon Rattle conducting The Rite of Spring with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on Alexander Street Press’s Classical Music in Video. If you are off campus, you will need to log in with your NIU network ID and password.

New Reference Items

The Music Library recently received the following items for the reference collection:

Danuser, Hermann, and Heidy Zimmermann, eds. Avatar of Modernity: The Rite of Spring Reconsidered. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML410.S932 D36 2013.

Wagner, Richard. Tristan und Isolde: Autograph Nationalarchiv der Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Bayreuth. Commentary by Ulrich Konrad. Documenta Musicologica Zweite Reihe: Handschriften-Faksimiles, Band XLV. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 2012. Call no. MUR ML96.5.W346 T7 2012.

Stravinsky, Igor. Le Sacre du printemps: Facsimile of the Autograph Full Score. Edited by Ulrich Mosch. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML96.5 .S932 2013 v.2.

Stravinsky, Igor. Le Sacre du printemps: Manuscript of the Version for Piano Four Hands: Facsimile. Edited by Felix Meyer. London: Boosey & Hawkes, 2013. Call no. MUR ML96.5 .S932 2013 v.3.

Watch this blog for a discussion of the Tristan und Isolde manuscript facsimile, which Elizabeth Hille Cribbs, our new music catalog librarian, will post.

Watch for the full score of Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), which will go on exhibit for the Fall Semester in the Music Library.

100 years of the Rite of Spring

Igor Stravinsky's ballet, the Rite of Spring -- known to French-speaking audiences as Le Sacre du Printemps, or to library catalogers as Vesna svi︠a︡shchennai︠a︡ (a Romanization of the Russian title, Весна священная) -- was premiered one hundred years ago today, May 19 (1913) by the Ballets Russes at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris.  This premiere is recognized in history and folklore as one of riotous chaos, marked by the presence and action of the composer, conductor Pierre Monteux, dancer and choreographer Vaclav Nijinsky, and impresario Serge Diaghilev.

Here is a roundup of links to various stories and other marks of the work's centennial anniversary:

John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune reflects on the anniversary, with a discussion of the history and interpretations of the Rite of Spring, events to mark the anniversary, and recordings of the work.

According to the RILM (International Repertory of Music Literature) blog, Bibliolore, the riot may have been planned before the premiere. 

Amar Toor of The Verge presents an account of the Rite of Spring and its legacy. 

David Ng reports for the Los Angeles Times about the Rite of Spring and some contemporary performances of the work.

Richard Scheinin links the Rite of Spring to the progressive rock movement for the San Jose Mercury News.

Finally, the NPR blog, Deceptive Cadence, presents a collection of reader submitted music videos to the finale of the work.