The Rite of Spring
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Rite of Spring, commonly referred to by its original French title, Le Sacre du printemps is a ballet with music by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It has the subtitle "Pictures from Pagan Russia" and caused a scandal in Paris when it opened on May 29, 1913.
The archetypal example of succes de scandale in art is Stravinsky's ballet Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) , which premiered in 1913 by the Ballets Russes. In the high days of the Belle Epoque, the public attending this premiere was so scandalised by the brutal sounds produced by the orchestra and the evocation of a blood sacrifice on stage that a riot broke out. A shower of bad press and criticism followed, but Stravinsky kept aloof, as if he knew that overnight he had become the most famous composer of the 20th century. He would never have to return to scandalous music again; he moved to chamber music and the neoclassical style for the next few years, nothing that could upset large audiences. From what he said years later — the Sacre du Printemps had eventually been turned into a Disney classic — he appeared certain that none were better than him at exploiting a scandal for success.
