I just watched a dramatization of the premiere of The Rite of Spring. The ballet's premiere on May 29, 1913, at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, was scandalous. A tumult of shouting and booing broke out during the performance. Finally, policemen had to be called in to calm down the riot inside the venue. I think this hundred-year-old performance is a perfect example of creative disruption.
The Rite of Spring was a collaborative project of three Russians: Igor Stravinsky, the composer; Sergei Diaghilev, director of the Ballets Russes; and Vaslav Nijinsky, the choreographer. The story takes place in pre-Christian Russia. A young girl dances herself to death in a pagan ritual.
As in many cases of disruption the loudest part of the premiere audience could not accept the real innovation that they witnessed. Stravinsky's score proved to be a seminal composition of the 20th century.
It is still surprising how many disruptive elements could be included in a single ballet performance that evening in Paris:
Chatter expectations. The audience came to have a typical evening out. The program started innocently with Les Sylphides, a ballet with orchestrated compositions of Frédéric Chopin's piano music. What followed was something totally upsetting.
Introduce the unfamiliar. The story, settings and costumes of The Rite of Spring were from an environment that was completely alien to the spectators.
Be original. Stravinsky's music had innovative rhythmic structures, tone colors, and dissonances that were unheard of. In 1976 Leonard Bernstein said of one passage, "It's never been topped for sophisticated handling of primitive rhythms...." The ballet's choreography was unprecedented as well.
Exceed the limits. It has been claimed that Nijinsky's choreography was physically unnatural to perform. One of the dancers recalled, "With every leap we landed heavily enough to jar every organ in us." Stravinsky also tested the limits of instruments. In the introduction he called for a bassoon to play higher than anyone else had ever done.
Be resolute. The audience disturbed the performance so loudly that the players could barely hear each other. Backstage Nijinsky shouted at the dancers and Diaghilev tried to calm down the fury of the audience by flashing the house lights. Still, the performance went on as planned.
Create buzz. It is clear that the controversy got attention and increased people's awareness of the ballet. However, the following performances were less dramatic. After the premiere Diaghilev is reported to have commented to Nijinsky and Stravinsky at dinner that the scandal was "exactly what I wanted."
Over the years Stravinsky turned the premiere incident into a legend, perhaps exaggerating its significance. Nevertheless, the score made a lasting impression on the development of modern music and is a great example of disruption.
Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra of Pablo Picasso's costumes for the ballet Parade (1917), Les Ballets Russes
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