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Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring

Jeremy Siepmann

1 Introduction, background and perspective 5:04

2 A gentle, other-worldly start; no sign of the violence to come 1:33

3 Music as mosaic; the composer as constructor 1:57

4 Two functions of metrical change: going with the flow... 1:23

5 ...or disrupting it: a sample of metrical violence 1:02

6 A stealthy entry (clarinets) 0:34

7 Detour: the destabilising properties of chromaticism 4:04

8 On melodies, themes and motifs 1:03

9 The new cor anglais motif dominates 0:27

10 The oboe's rhythmic motif takes over 0:25

11 A primeval awakening 0:37

12 A panoply of Stravinskyan birdsong 0:59

13 A matter of mode 1:15

14 Cue to Introduction 0:09

15 Introduction (complete) 3:38

16 Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: The 'Rite of Spring' chord 0:41

17 The great arrival: bitonality 1:35

18 Putting the boot in: a metrical mugging 1:45

19 The prevalence of ostinatos, and a righting of wrongs 1:51

20 Metre restores (briefly) but the 'savage motif' returns 0:50

21 The musical savages routed 1:19

22 An important new arrival (the 'horn motif') 1:05

23 Another new theme from the horns 0:48

24 A crowded conclusion 1:44

25 A real study in contrasts 1:31

26 Panic and pandemonium as timpani open fire 1:10

27 Climactic melee haunted by 'fear motif' 1:35

28 Suddenly another world, as flutes hover over harmonic vapour... 0:59

29 ...but a transient one: new movement arises from the deep 0:51

30 'Dragging feet motif' over ostinato violins, twice interrupted 0:43

31 'Marching motif' developed further by flutes and horns 0:45

32 A trilling commentary from piccolo and high clarinet 0:25

33 'Marching motif' theme goes polymetric in huge crescendo 1:17

34 An unexpected change of pace as tempo doubles 0:53

35 And an unexpected reversion, to a quiet close 0:41

36 Violent onslaught from brass and timpani launches the 'Rival Tribes' 0:25

37 Rival Tribes, rival motifs 0:22

38 Sensational violence comes close to chaos 0:38

39 Effects, impressions and alteration 1:40

40 A surprise re-entry and a change of instrumental clothing 0:55

41 A thinning of texture, a new idea, and a rude interruption 0:34

42 The new idea developed: a minor earthquake 0:41

43 The use of tone colour as an agent of rhythm 1:32

44 An unusual climax... 1:31

45 ...and a sinister transition 0:51

46 Across the threshold into an instrumental population explosion 1:29

47 A sudden silence and then another world 1:00

48 Catapulted into the 'Dance of the Earth' 0:38

49 Tiny changes, unyielding ostinatos, massive tension 3:19

50 Cue to Part I complete 0:07

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