What happened at the premiere of The Rite of Spring in 1913?



The ballet was first performed by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at the Theatre du Champs-Élysées in Paris on 29 May 1913 and famously caused a riot. Many people in the audience were so outraged by Stravinsky’s avant-garde score, and Nijinsky’s choreography, that they thought it seemed like the work of a madman.

What happened during the premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring?

Backstage at the premiere, Nijinsky shouted at the dancers while Diaghilev tried to suppress a possible riot by flashing the house lights. Stravinsky himself fumed at the audience’s response to his music. If nothing else, the ballet’s premiere managed to instill in the audience the true spirit of the music.

What major event took place at the premiere in Paris of The Rite of Spring?

Of all the scandals of the history of art, none is so scandalous as the one that took place on the evening of 29 May 1913 in Paris at the premiere of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring. The Rite descended into a riot, the story goes.

Where did the rite premiere in 1913?





Théâtre de Champs-Elysées

The ballet premiered at the Théâtre de Champs-Elysées, a beautiful new theatre in Paris, on May 29, 1913.

What is the story behind Rite of Spring?

The concept behind The Rite of Spring, developed by Roerich from Stravinsky’s outline idea, is suggested by its subtitle, “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts”; the scenario depicts various primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring, after which a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances

Why was the premiere of The Rite of Spring famous?

“The most important piece of music of the 20th century”





The Rite of Spring caused a scandal at its premiere in 1913 but is now widely regarded as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century, a seminal work of modernism that boldly rejected the ordered harmonies and comfort of traditional composition.

What happens at the end of The Rite of Spring quizlet?

Discuss the ending of the ballet of The Rite of Spring. Ballet ends with the dramatic ‘Sacrifical Dance’, in which a pagan girl called ‘The Chosen One’ dances herself to death as a sacrifice to the god of spring.

When did The Rite of Spring premiere?

29 May 1913

The premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is perhaps the most famous scandal in the history of the performing arts. It took place on the evening of 29 May 1913, at the brand-new Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, in front of a glittering audience.



What is unique about The Rite of Spring?

Igor Stravinsky wrote The Rite of Spring in 1913. It redefined 20th-century music, much as Beethoven’s Eroica had transformed music a century before. With it, Stravinsky took himself far into the realm of the unconscious. The music seemed designed with no apparent order but driven by pure gut feeling.