LAB-51: First Nights A. Allen, Fall 2006 Stravinsky: Rite of Spring, Listening Guide Recording by Pierre Boulez (Cleveland Orchestra): B-NT= “no tracks” (i.e., the recording with only one track per part) Recording by Pierre Boulez (Cleveland Orchestra): B-T = “tracks” (i.e., the recording with 14 tracks, or one per titled movement) R.N. = Rehearsal Number in the Sourcebook score Number / Movement / Section R.N. B-NT B-T Description PART I 1. Introduction: The Adoration of Start 0:00 1/0:00 Bassoon solo (folk-like, quasi-improvised) in high register; use of “tempo rubato.” Polyphonic, the Earth then orchestral texture becomes gradually denser and chaotic. 12 3:03 1/3:03 Return of solo bassoon. (N.B. ostinato figure in violins.) 2. The Auguries of Spring/ Dances 13 3:34 2/0:00 Repeated polychords (strings), accents on shifting beats, alternating with blocks of contrasting of the Adolescent Girls material (N.B. ostinato from No. 1). 19 4:21 2/0:48 Tune in bassoons grows out of chord accents. 25 5:14 2/1:43 New tune introduced in the horn. Folk-like, smooth, narrow register. 28+5m 5:49 2/2:20 Yet another new tune in trumpets (also used in No. 4). 3. Game of Abduction 37 6:47 3/0:00 Fast, agitated. Trumpet (et al.) fanfare with timpani. 46 7:45 3/0:59 Opening fanfare returns in the winds, punctuated by the timpani. 4. Spring Rounds 48 8:09 4/0:00 Flutes trill, melody in the clarinets. Folk-like; soft. 49 8:35 4/0:25 Heavy string chords (used in trumpets in No. 2, here slower), regular beat with syncopation. Tune in winds; shifting instrumentation. 53 10:20 4/2:18 Tutti melody, fortissimo, loud percussion, heavy beats. 54 11:08 4/3:07 Flute call starts a short fast section with alternating blocks of material. 56 11:25 4/3:23 Flute trill transitions back to opening melody in alto flute and E= clarinet. 5. Games of Rival Tribes 57 11:54 5/0:00 Sudden start after No. 4. Timpani and brass, alternating blocks of material (from No. 3). 60 12:27 5/0:35 New melody (polytonal) in woodwinds used as an alternating block. 61 12:37 5/0:47 Same tune (now tonal) in trumpets then winds then strings. 64 13:23 5/1:35 Same tune (again polytonal). Tubas / bass drum start procession ostinato. 6. Procession of the Sage 67 13:44 6/0:00 Polytonal melody in tubas, overlapping ostinati in other voices. Polyrhythm: bass drum in three (triple), other parts mostly in two/four (duple). 7. Adoration of the Earth 71 14:23 7/0:00 Transition via silence; then quiet low bassoons, timpani and basses; then harmonics in strings. 8. Dance of the Earth 72 14:43 8/0:00 Prestissimo, loud, fanfares and percussion. Irregular accents. Ostinato in basses and violas. 75 15:10 8/0:29 Calmer section: Ascending scales in bass clarinet over string and brass figuration. Builds in intensity, then an abrupt end. PART II 9. Introduction 79 0:00 9/0:00 Wavering chords in woodwinds, sustained brass; occasional surges in strings (harmonics, eerie). 83 1:17 9/1:17 Fragments finally coalesce into a melody in flute and solo violin (harmonics). 84+3m 1:47 9/1:47 Trumpets “duet”, then horns/clarinets, then horns (all same tune). Contrasting sections in between statements of tune, including one return to previous melody (now in horns). 10. Mystic Circles of the 91 4:07 10/0:00 Polytonal melody in divided strings, accompanied by harmonics and pizzicato. Adolescents 93 4:28 10/0:22 String tremolos, tune in flute, then polytonal in clarinets; oboe and bassoon follow, then strings. 97 5:14 10/1:08 Horn and string pizzicato arpeggios start, then the tune moves among various groups of instruments (tonal and polytonal). 101 6:39 10/2:41 String harmonics (actually started earlier, but now more pronounced). 103+1m 7:08 10/3:12 Crescendo and accelerando into . the 11 chords that introduce No. 11. 11. Glorification of the Chosen {Form: Intro-A-B-A, including “Mosaic”} [See also Prof. Kelly’s handout!] One 104 7:13 11/0:00 A: Fast, loud; juxtaposition of blocks of material (textures, ideas, tunes) on small scale and on larger scale (this A section is in three sub-sections, a-bc-a). 111 7:41 11/0:30 B: Brass fanfares/bass drum, calmer pizzicato, then brass outbursts in with the pizzicato. 117 8:22 11/1:13 A: Opening loud material returns, here in two sub-sections. 12. Evocation of the Ancestors 121 8:38 12/0:00 Contrasting sections of loud homophonic chords in winds with sections of relative quiet (but that have the percussion/bass providing a menacing undercurrent). 13. Ritual Performance of the {Form: A-B-B’-C-B’-A, a.k.a “Arch”} Ancestors 128 9:13 13/0:00 A: Ostinato in strings, horns, tambourine; tune in English horn, then flute. 131 10:10 13/1:02 B: Ostinato mimicked, softer; muted trumpets. 134 10:58 13/1:51 B’: Grows to forte/fortissimo, focus is brass. 135 11:09 13/2:03 C: Interruption with short ascending/descending figures. 138 11:36 13/2:32 B’: Forte/fortissimo section returns. 139 11:56 13/2:52 A: Return of opening material (ostinato); now with trumpets, flutes, then clarinets. 14. Sacrificial Dance {Form: A-B-A’-C-A”, a.k.a. Rondo} 142 12:43 14/0:00 A: Loud string and brass chords; frequent meter changes. 149 13:14 14/0:32 B: Pulsing string pizzicato; changes in texture, dynamics and instrumentation. 167 14:45 14/1:55 A’: Opening material, increasing intensity. 174 15:15 14/2:23 C: Pounding timpani ostinato with brass. (A-material at R.N. 180, but cut off.) 186 16:21 14/3:33 A”: Opening, percussive chords start low; gradually build to glissando before the final chord..