Stravinsky: Rite of Spring, Firebird Suite, Scherzo, Tango

Featuring

Iván Fischer
Budapest Festival Orchestra
Igor Stravinsky

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Cultural Impact

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, with its simple compositional recipe, profoundly influenced later music genres such as beat, rock, rap, and minimal music.

Performer Biography

Iván Fischer has introduced innovative concert formats, including 'Cocoa Concerts' for children, 'Surprise' concerts with unannounced programs, and 'One Forint concerts' where he engages with the audience.

Compositional Technique

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring uses a simple compositional recipe: repeating a six-note melody with different accents, then adding rhythmic patterns to create a polyrhythmic and polytonal mix.

Historical Context

Stravinsky, a notorious modernist, was considered one of the most prominent revolutionaries in 20th-century music, with The Rite of Spring having an influence comparable to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in the 19th century.

Composition History

Stravinsky's Scherzo à la russe originated from unused film music for 'The North Star,' a movie about a Russian village resisting Nazis, which he adapted for Paul Whiteman's Symphonic Jazz Orchestra.

Critical Reception

The 1913 premiere of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in Paris caused a scandal, with audience members fighting and shouting abuse due to its 'primitive' music and choreography.

Performer Biography

Iván Fischer, the conductor, is the founder and Music Director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, which has achieved significant international success over the past three decades.