Instrumentation: full orchestra
Style: modern orchestral music
Background:
Premiered in 1913.
Stravinsky (1882-1971)
It’s a ballet.
A riot broke out during the premiere because of the choreography and costuming. Both elements were peculiar to the French audience that preferred graceful ballets and traditional costumes for the dancers.
The music is definitely modern. This is not my favorite type of music to listen to due to the intentional dissonance and thick textures. There are moments when many instruments are playing at once and the listener has a hard time understanding which idea is supposed to be melodious. I do however like the moments when the bass instruments play all together in a staccato forceful rhythm. This part is powerful, interesting, and inspiring. This rhythm pattern is presented again near the end and played by all stringed instruments. This part is more “understandable” because one can imagine a solider fighting or jabbing their opponent or they can imagine a dancer on the stage jumping in a strong dramatic fashion. This part more than others gives the listener an idea of what’s going on or something they can imagine to try to relate to the music.
W&L Music 296 Listening Journal - Gab 