LESSON 3: THE RITE OF SPRING: ITS CREATION, SYNOPSIS AND STUCTURE

THE RITE OF SPRING: ITS CREATION, SYNOPSIS AND STUCTURE

 

 

 Stravinsky, sketched by Picasso

  Dancers in Nicholas Roerich’s original costumes.

                       

Igor Stravinsky described The Rite of Spring as “a musical-choreographic work, representing pagan Russia … unified by a single idea: the mystery and great surge of the creative power of Spring”.

Stravinsky himself gave contradictory accounts of the creation of The Rite. In a 1920 article he stressed that the musical ideas had come first, that the pagan setting had been suggested by the music rather than the other way round. However, in his 1936 autobiography he described the origin of the work thus: “One day in 1910, ….. in St Petersburg, I had a fleeting vision … I saw in my imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watching a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of Spring. Such was the theme of the Sacre du Printemps”.

By May 1910 Stravinsky was discussing his idea with Nicholas Roerich, the foremost Russian expert on folk art and ancient rituals. Roerich had a reputation as an artist and mystic.

     

In July 1911 Stravinsky and Roerich finalised the structure of the ballet. However, the two-part pagan scenario that emerged was primarily devised by Roerich. Stravinsky later explained that the first part of the work would be called “The Kiss of the Earth”, and would consist of games and ritual dances interrupted by a procession of sages, culminating in a frenzied dance as the people embraced the spring. Part Two, “The Sacrifice”, would have a darker aspect; secret night games of maidens, leading to the choice of one for sacrifice and her eventual dance to the death before the sages. The original working title was changed to “Holy Spring”, but the work became generally known by the French translation Le Sacre du printemps, or its English equivalent The Rite of Spring, with the subtitle “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts”.

The French titles are given in the form given in the four-part piano score published in 1913. There have been numerous variants of the English translations; those shown are from the 1967 edition of the score.

PUT THE ENGLISH TITLES IN THE COLUMN “ENGLISH TRANSLATION” IN THE TABLE BELOW (COPY AND PASTE TITLES).

PART ONE:	PART TWO:
Dance of the Earth
Spring Rounds	Evocation of the Ancestors
Ritual of Abduction	Sacrificial Dance
Augurs of Spring	Mystic Circles of the Young Girls
Ritual of the Rival Tribes	Ritual Action of the Ancestors
Procession of the Sage: The Sage	Glorification of the Chosen One

Episode	English translation	Synopsis
Part I: L’Adoration de la Terre (Adoration of the Earth)
Introduction	Introduction	Before the curtain rises, an orchestral introduction resembles, according to Stravinsky, “a swarm of spring pipes [dudki]”
Les Augures printaniers		The celebration of spring begins in the hills. An old woman enters and begins to foretell the future.
Jeu du rapt		Young girls arrive from the river, in single file. They begin the “Dance of the Abduction”.
Rondes printanières		The young girls dance the Khorovod, the “Spring Rounds”.
Jeux des cités rivales		The people divide into two groups in opposition to each other, and begin the “Ritual of the Rival Tribes”.
Cortège du sage: Le Sage		A holy procession leads to the entry of the wise elders, headed by the Sage who brings the games to a pause and blesses the earth.
Danse de la terre		The people break into a passionate dance, sanctifying and becoming one with the earth.
Part II: Le Sacrifice (The Sacrifice)
Introduction	Introduction
Cercles mystérieux des adolescentes		The young girls engage in mysterious games, walking in circles.
Glorification de l’élue		One of the young girls is selected by fate, being twice caught in the perpetual circle, and is honoured as the “Chosen One” with a marital dance.
Evocation des ancêtres		In a brief dance, the young girls invoke the ancestors.
Action rituelle des ancêtres		The Chosen One is entrusted to the care of the old wise men.
Danse sacrale (L’Élue)		The Chosen One dances to death in the presence of the old men, in the great “Sacrificial Dance”.