Deceptively simple chord patterns* begin suddenly, as do melodic fragments and phrases, only to end unexpectedly. His textures, like Debussy's, are continuously changing. Texture: As in Debussy's music, texture plays a vital role in the Stravinsky sound. The manner in which this is done defies simple description, but we may cite a few of the elements that reflect Stravinsky's genius: In The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky expanded the traditional sense of harmony, rhythm, melody, and tonality into a distinctive musical language that sounds simultaneously modern and archaic. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of spring." "I saw in imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a young girl dance herself to death. Stravinsky described his vision later in these words:
In 1913, it reappeared in all its shocking glory in Igor Stravinsky's ballet music The Rite of Spring.Ĭomposed for a Russian ballet company active in Paris early in the century, it was an exotic expression of Russian nationalism through music, dance, and primitive theme. The twentieth century is the era in which this impulse has reasserted itself, full-bodied and in many guises. Not until the Romantic era that some of this primitive rhythmic impulse returns to "serious" music, perhaps taking its cue from the cultural pounding that Beethoven's rhythms had released into the world. (Here we encounter the word "refined" in a socio-cultural context where subdued, stylized, and controlled body movements are primary components.) It is One might consider the minuet the ultimate example of this more "refined" rhythm and movement. European composers sought more restrained, "refined" rhythmic styles.
The sight of a wild, delirious mob dancing in the streets for days in an attempt to ward off the plague is not an image that sits well with traditional notions of civilization.Īlthough it adapted many dance rhythms, "serious" European music virtually abandoned the uninhibited body rhythms of the archaic past. One example is the dance of death craze in the Middle Ages. An interesting long-term phenomenon is the way this suppressed rhythmic impulse seems to erupt periodically into the social fabric. As Christianity turned away from the rites of ancient religions, European culture festered the negative image of rhythmic intoxication through music and dance. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the Western world. Throughout history, there have been intermittent attempts to tame what many have called "primitive" and "uninhibited" rhythm.
Stravinsky rite of spring flac torrent serial#
This stylistic inclination persisted in the earlier part of his American residence (1939-52), gradually giving way to a highly individual use of serial techniques* in his last years. The period from 1920 to 1939, which he spent in France, was that of the great neoclassical compositions, reactivating the modes and manners of the 18th century. Then, between 19, he made his home in Switzerland, his exile becoming permanent after the Russian Revolution, though the connection with his homeland continued in his works. The years 1910-14 saw the beginning of his international career, with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris, and the premieres of The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. Stravinsky's life was a varied one, and his music went through several changes, often startling at the time but revealing an inner consistency when viewed with hindsight.* His early years, from 1882 to 1910, found Stravinsky in Russia, absorbing influences from his elder compatriots and others.
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