Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps & The Firebird Suite

Featuring

Mariss Jansons
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Igor Stravinsky

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Igor Stravinsky conceived of "Le sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring) from a vision of a pagan ceremony where an old wise man watched a young maiden dance to her death as a sacrifice to the god of spring.

Composition History

The libretto for "The Firebird" was co-written by Stravinsky, choreographer Mikhail Fokine, and costume designer Léon Bakst, drawing on Russian legends.

Composition History

Stravinsky collaborated with his painter friend Nicholas Roerich, an expert in pagan incantation, to develop the libretto for "Le sacre du printemps."

Recording & Production

This recording features the 1945 suite of "The Firebird," which Stravinsky personally preferred due to its medium-sized orchestration and expanded movements.

Compositional Technique

In "Le sacre du printemps," Stravinsky's emancipation of rhythm is a dominant element, often transforming the orchestra into a large percussion instrument with irregular accents and frequent meter changes.

Critical Reception

The 1913 premiere of "Le sacre du printemps" in Paris was a major artistic scandal, with the audience laughing, booing, hissing, and even engaging in a brawl.

Composition History

Sergei Diaghilev, a brilliant impresario, commissioned Igor Stravinsky to compose "The Firebird" for his 'Ballets Russes' company, aiming to create a new form of ballet art.