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THE RITE OF SPRING STRAVINSKY e Ritual Action of the Ancestors (Action rituelle des ancêtres) [3.41] r Sacrificial Dance: The Chosen One (Danse sacrale: L’élue) [5.05] LES BICHES POULENC Les Biches Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) t I. Ouverture [3.13] The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps) Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) y II. Rondeau [3.21] u III. Chanson dansée [3.58] Part I – Adoration of the Earth (L’adoration de la terre) i IV. Adagietto [3.40] 1 Introduction [3.31] o V. Jeu [4.10] 2 The Augurs of Spring (Les Augures printaniers) Dances of the Young Girls (Danses des adolescentes) [3.06] p VI. Rag-Mazurka [5.28] 3 Ritual of Abduction (Jeu du rapt) [1.22] a VII. Andantino [3.06] 4 Spring Rounds (Rondes Printanières) [3.40] s VIII. Petite chanson dansée [1.46] 5 Ritual of the Rival Tribes (Jeux des cités rivales) [1.42] d IX. Final [4.01] 6 Procession of the Sage (Cortège du sage) [0.42] Total timings: [67.48] 7 The Sage (Le sage) [0.23] 8 Dance of the Earth (Danse de la terre) [1.14] BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES Part II – The Sacrifice (Le sacfrifice) LESLEY HATFIELD LEADER 9 Introduction [4.48] BBC NATIONAL CHORUS OF WALES 0 Mystic Circles of the Young Girls (Cercles mystérieux des adolescentes) [3.42] ADRIAN PARTINGTON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR q Glorification of the Chosen One (Glorification de l’élue) [1.28] THIERRY FISCHER CONDUCTOR w Evocation of the Ancestors (Evocation des ancêtres) [0.39] www.signumrecords.com The Rites of Women the scenario of his ballet, initially called ‘The Great taken by Roerich directly from Nestor’s Primary but – as Stravinsky recalled late in his life – when Sacrifice’, Stravinsky turned to the archaeologist, Chronicle which describes the “lawless” practices the curtain rose “on the group of knock-kneed Here are two ballets which at first glance may painter and designer Nicholas Roerich. of unbaptized tribes in which men – after various and long-braided Lolitas jumping up and appear poles apart aesthetically – one of them games – “carried off wives for themselves, each down, the storm broke”. Counter-protests and atavistic, violent and ‘primitive’, the other Closely associated with the Ballets Russes from taking any woman who whom he had arrived at fisticuffs broke out as the students in the sophisticated, elliptical and ‘chic’. Yet both its birth, Roerich had designed the costumes an understanding”. theatre’s standing room, situated between the have in common the subject of sex; more for two key productions in its inaugural year of boxes and stalls occupied by the more affluent specifically, both focus on the role of women in 1909: the phenomenally successful Polovtsian The ballet’s final and most controversial element section of the audience, turned on their wealthy the rituals of sex and sexual attraction. The Dances (from Borodin’s opera Prince Igor), was Nijinsky’s choreography. Diaghilev’s leading neighbours to defend the modern ballet. In differences between the two ballets are not merely and Ivan the Terrible, Diaghilev’s adaptation male dancer had already created strikingly the hubbub, Stravinsky’s music went largely one being set in ancient Rus’, and the other in of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Maid of Pskov (which unorthodox choreography for Debussy’s Prélude unheard, and was not to be properly appreciated a fashionable house party in 1920s Paris: the launched the great bass singer Chaliapin’s à l’après-midi d’un faune, inspired by the by the public until its triumphant first concert ‘primitive’ ballet was the work of several male career in the West). But what made Roerich a stylised poses depicted in ancient Greek art. In performance a year later, conducted by artists – not least the legendary dancer Vaslav particularly suitable collaborator for Rite was his Rite, he deliberately negated everything classical Pierre Monteux (who had also conducted the Nijinsky who created its choreography – while the specialist knowledge of ancient Slavic culture ballet had aspired to in presenting the human ballet’s premiere). other was essentially the work of Nijinsky’s sister, and rituals. Several of his paintings already body: whereas previously choreographers had the remarkable Bronislava Nijinska. foretold the ballet’s subject matter, with titles aimed to make the body seem graceful, light Stravinsky scored Rite for one of the largest such as The Elders Gather (1898), Idols (1901), and almost capable of flight (an illusion of which orchestras ever gathered for a ballet including The Rite of Spring, almost overnight, established Ritual Dance (1904) and Yarilo’s Gully (1908), Nijinsky the dancer was a master), Nijinsky quadruple woodwind, a large brass section Stravinsky as one of the early 20th century’s Yarilo being the ancient Slavonic sun god. made his dancers appear heavy-footed, awkward and a percussion section which includes five great revolutionary composers. But how did and angular with feet turned inwards and timpani, crotales and a güiro. However his this extraordinary and nightmarish masterpiece Later there were furious claims and counter- elbows pressed to the sides of their body. real achievement was to break the rhythmic come about? Stravinsky subsequently claimed claims by composer and artist as to whose regularity of Western music’s written barline, he was inspired by a dream he had in the spring conception The Rite of Spring truly was, but it It was this, rather than Stravinsky’s music, which and to effectively convert the orchestra into a of 1910, when he was finishing The Firebird: seems likely that Stravinsky first presented his idea caused the notorious riot at the ballet’s premiere great percussive instrument; this he did less “I saw in imagination a solemn pagan rite. of a sacrificial dance to Roerich, who then at the new Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on 29 through his use of his actual percussion, used Sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a young developed the rest of the scenario. For instance May 1913. Some noises of disapproval were relatively sparingly in the ballet, but more girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing the ‘Abduction’, when the male dancers pursue heard during the Prelude, launched by a solo through the aggressive use of dissonances her to propitiate the god of spring”. To help realise and make off with young female mates, was bassoon playing at a fearsomely high tessitura, created for their intrinsic sound rather than - 4 - - 5 - for any sense of classical resolution (a logical Diaghilev took a great interest in the project Though its setting is clear enough, Les Biches proceeded to drastically reduce the length of extension to the harmonic innovations of and expressed the hope that it would be a does not present a story, but rather situations the coat. “I feel naked!” protested Nemchinova Debussy), most famously in the stamping contemporary Sylphide for the 1920s. Poulenc or the dynamics of certain sexual relationships. as Diaghilev exposed the full length of her legs. rhythms of the ‘Dance of the Adolescents’. responded with a light-hearted and witty series It has been plausibly suggested that the “Then go and buy yourself some white gloves!” of dances, neo-classical in style (including a choreographer Nijinska, no beauty herself, made retorted the impresario. Despite the work’s enormous reputation, the ballet direct quote from Mozart’s Prague Symphony the ballet an expression of her jaundiced view had less than a dozen performances before it in the Final), yet which breathe the spirit of the of the female stereotypes women were expected Nijinska herself danced the hostess (whose big abruptly fell out of the company’s repertoire Jazz Age. Ironically so, since he later confessed to play early in the 20th century. Nearly all the number is the ‘Rag-Mazurka’), a character who with the dismissal of Nijinsky (who, as Diaghilev’s to disliking jazz; yet Poulenc made a passable protagonists are trapped in conventional gender for all her feminine accessories – Chanel pearls, former lover, had committed the cardinal sin impression of its lively style in the Rondeau, roles. The three athletes, who enter a room of cigarette holder and plumed headdress – dances of getting married). However Diaghilev’s favour albeit with syncopations which perhaps owe preening women, show off all the bravura leaps with a vigorous, masculine style, so subverting – this time entirely professional – then fell upon more to the Spanish rhythms of the ballets by of male ballet dancers (during the ‘Chanson her sexual stereotype. Only two young girls Vaslav’s sister, Bronislava Nijinska, whom he his friend Manuel de Falla; and of course in the dansée’) but perform each action in unison dressed in grey – Sapphic yet innocent – appear appointed the company’s chief choreographer Rag-Mazurka, which incidentally contains the and abruptly rather than within a flowing unaffected and genuine in their mutual attraction in 1921. She was to hold that post exclusively ballet’s other blatant quotation – from Chopin’s dance: Diaghilev was delighted, reporting that (in ‘Petite chanson dansée’). until 1925. During that time she choreographed Polonaise in F sharp minor. And the ballet the dancers performed “weightily, like three several major ballets including Stravinsky’s brilliantly evokes its post-war world, not least cannon” – clearly this is a trio of butch poseurs. Poulenc was absolutely delighted by Nijinska’s Les Noces, Milhaud’s Le Train bleu, and Poulenc’s the brittle wit and lightly worn erudition of By contrast comes the androgynous Garçonne work, writing to a friend: “The choreography of Les Biches. its fashionable society as suggested by those – often known as the girl in blue – dressed in Les biches is a masterpiece. It is ravishing from fleeting quotations.

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