Today marks the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Stravinsky’s monumental ballet Le Sacre du printemps (“The Rite of Spring”). Inspired by traditional songs and dances of tribal Russia, the work depicts an ancient sacrificial ritual in which a maiden is selected to dance herself to death in honor of the changing seasons. The original production combined Stravinsky’s pounding rhythms and sensuous melodies with visceral choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky.
Pina Bausch’s choreography for The Rite of Spring (Photo: Angela Taylor / Arenapal)
As legend goes, during the premiere performance on May 29, 1913, the audience at Paris’s Théâtre des Champs-Élysées was so scandalized by the ballet’s jarring timbres and jumpy dance movements that a riot broke out, overcoming the entire auditorium. Though it’s still unclear if the Rite riot was orchestrated by the ballet’s producers to generate buzz or if the chaos truly arose spontaneously, the work’s storied debut remains one of the great moments in classical music history.
A hundred years later, the searing musical energy and sheer orchestral power of Stravinsky’s work continues to enthrall musicians, dancers, and audience members alike. I first experienced the Rite as a music student at the University of Washington, where I watched the Joffrey Ballet’s 1989 re-creation of Nijinsky’s original choreography in a music history class. I became obsessed with the piece, combing through YouTube in an attempt to watch every single performance and choreography I could find. Years later, The Rite of Spring remains one of my favorite musical works of all time.
In honor of today’s Rite centennial, I’ve compiled a collection of my favorite recordings, choreographies, and related media. Happy 100th birthday, Rite of Spring!