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Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring caused an uproar at its first performance in Paris on 29 May 1913, with its pounding, irregular rhythms and stamping dancers. Stories of a full riot grew later, but the shock was real.

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, 1913

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The story behind the card

The ballet was made for Sergei Diaghilev's company, the Ballets Russes, with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and sets and costumes by Nicholas Roerich. It shows pagan rites in ancient Russia and ends with a young woman chosen as a sacrifice, who dances until she dies. Nijinsky turned the dancers' feet inward and had them stamp rather than float. In the music, accents fall where the ear does not expect them and the metre changes from bar to bar. The conductor Pierre Monteux kept going through jeers, laughter and shouting; tales of fighting in the aisles come mostly from memories written years later. The score soon triumphed in the concert hall and is now one of the most performed works of 20th-century music.

Türkçe oku
Igor Stravinsky'nin balesi Bahar Ayini, 29 Mayıs 1913'te Paris'teki ilk gösteriminde vurgulu, düzensiz ritimleri ve ayaklarını yere vuran dansçılarıyla salonu birbirine kattı. Salonda kavga çıktığı hikâyesi sonradan abartıldı, ama yaşanan şok gerçekti.
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, 1913

Bale, Sergey Diyagilev'in topluluğu Rus Baleleri (Ballets Russes) için hazırlandı; koreografisi Vaslav Nijinski'nin, dekor ve kostümleri Nikolay Rerih'indi. Eski Rusya'daki pagan ayinlerini anlatır ve kurban olarak seçilen genç bir kızın ölene dek dans etmesiyle biter. Nijinski dansçıların ayaklarını içe döndürdü, süzülmek yerine yere basıp tepinmelerini istedi. Müzikte vurgular kulağın beklemediği yerlere düşer, ölçü neredeyse her ölçü çizgisinde değişir. Şef Pierre Monteux yuhalamalara, kahkahalara ve bağırışlara rağmen orkestrayı yönetmeyi sürdürdü; koridorlarda kavga edildiğine dair hikâyeler çoğunlukla yıllar sonra yazılan anılardan gelir. Eser kısa sürede konser salonlarında büyük başarı kazandı ve bugün 20. yüzyıl müziğinin en çok çalınan yapıtlarından biridir.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: The Rite of Spring
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