Rite of Spring

“A lot has been written about the biggest music scandal in history during the world premiere of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring 1913. He was 31 years old. One year before World War One Stravinsky blew up the music world. Away with traditions and lineage. Away with Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner and Mahler. A never heard primal force burst out of the massive orchestra in Paris’ Theatre des Champs-Elysees. Like Picasso’s first cubic painting from 1910, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring created a new musical paradigm. 35 min long, the music is a tour de force from shifting meters and rhythms, exotic harmonies and never heard before orchestral colors.
With Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring depicting a heathen pre-historic ritual based on human sacrifice, Radiohead Jonny Greenwood’s Grammy award nominated score of “There Will be Blood” is pushing the sound world into our century. Gritty and dark. It’s one of several pieces this season based on film.
And sandwiched in between? The most romantic piano concerto ever written, Tchaikovsky piano concerto No. 1 with Van Cliburn bronze medal winner Daniel Hsu.”