#composing spring

[yuripoll]

S3 ROUND 1

NOTE: Composing Spring […] is about death and grief, and additionally depicts depression and suicidality. I Married My Best Friend […] contains suggestive scenes as well as homophobia and some misogyny.

[questioning-pisces]

nothing is stronger than the bond between an aroace and their favorite fictional character

[blackswaneuroparedux]

There is no beauty in Music itself, the beauty is within the listener.

- Igor Stravinsky

“The idea of The Rite of Spring came to me while I was still composing Firebird,” Igor Stravinsky recalled, 45 years after the ballet’s first performance in 1913, in his book Conversations. “I had dreamed of a scene of pagan ritual in which a chosen sacrificial virgin danced herself to death.” If Stravinsky is to be believed, this dream marked the beginning of a process that culminated in the premiere of one of the 20th century’s most important musical works.

Stravinsky’s music was meant to capture the spirit of the scenario, which he had outlined with the help of painter and ethnographer Nikolai Roerich and dancer and choreographer Mikhail Fokine during the spring and summer of 1910. Roerich had filled Stravinsky’s head with tales about all sorts of rituals from ancient Russia – divinations, sacrifices, dances, and so on – involving a variety of characters. The ballet that resulted revolves around the return of spring and the renewal of the earth through the sacrifice of a virgin. In his handwritten version of the story, Stravinsky described The Rite as “a musical choreographic work. It represents pagan Russia and is unified by a single idea: the mystery and the great surge of the creative power of spring���.”

Stravinsky completed the score on 29 March 1913, and exactly two months later, the ballet premiered in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, where it caused the famous scandal that ushered in modern music. Nijinsky’s choreography and the wild, unchecked power of Stravinsky’s score were something wholly new. Stravinsky wrote for one of his largest orchestras ever in The Rite of Spring, and he used it with an assurance and confidence one would hardly expect from a composer just out of his twenties and with only two big successes - The Firebird and Petrushka - behind him.

But those two scores, for all of their individuality and accomplishment, did not seem like they were leading to The Rite of Spring. What Stravinsky did was totally unexpected.

The stage action during the ballet’s second half, leading up to the sacrifice, was enough to capture the attention of even that raucous audience at the first performance. Finally quiet, they could hear Stravinsky’s score and watch as Maria Piltz, the dancer who played the sacrificial victim, stood motionless as the ritual unfolded around her, gradually coming to life to perform her dance, with its angular contortions and tortured motions.

What actually happened on that scandalous night will always be a mystery to some degree, because the reports contradict each other. Was it the choreography that annoyed people, or the music? Were the police really called? Was it true that missiles were thrown, and challenges to a duel offered? Were the creators booed at the end, or cheered?

The dancer Dame Marie Rambert remembered that right at the beginning ‘a shout went up in the gallery: “Un docteur!" (Call a doctor!). Somebody else shouted louder, “Un dentiste!" (a dentist!)’. The aristocrat Harry Kessler said that people started to whisper and joke almost immediately. Stravinsky himself was so angry that he stormed out and went backstage to help the dancers keep time.

What is certain is that the audience was shocked - and with good reason. Stravinsky’s score for The Rite of Spring contradicted every rule about what music should be. The sounds are often deliberately harsh, right from opening Lithuanian folk melody, which is played by the bassoon in its highest, most uncomfortable range. The music was cacophonously loud, assaulting the ears with thunderous percussion and shrieking brass. Rhythmically it was complex in a completely unprecedented way. In the ‘Ritual of the Rival Tribes’ the music unfolds in two speeds at once, in a ratio of 3:2. And it makes lavish use of dissonance, i.e. combinations of notes which don’t make normal harmonic sense. ‘The music always goes to the note next to the one you expect,’ wrote one exasperated critic.

Then there was the dance, choreographed by Nijinsky. According to some observers this was what really caused the scandal at the first night. When the curtain rose the audience saw a row of ‘knock-kneed and long-braided Lolitas jumping up and down’ as Stravinsky called them, who seemed to jerk rather than dance. Classical dance aspired upwards, in defiance of gravity, whereas Nijinsky’s dancers seemed pulled down to the earth. Their strange, stamping movements and awkward poses defied every canon of gracefulness.

Both the music and the dance of The Rite of Spring seemed to deny the possibility of human feelings, which for most people is what gives art its meaning. As Stravinsky put it, ‘there are simply no regions for soul-searching in The Rite of Spring’. This is what separates it so decisively from Stravinsky’s hit of 1911, Petrushka. There we’re immersed in a human world, which exudes the very specific cultural ambience of Russia. It’s true that the main characters are puppets, rather than rounded human beings. But they have characters, even if they’re somewhat rudimentary, and at the end there’s even a suggestion that Petrushka might have a soul.

* Pina Bausch's interpretation of Stravinksy's Rite. A masterpiece of modern dance.

[the-sacred-now]

If you only like the "baby" version of your selection, just pick it and note that in the tags!

[vimbry]

how I feel when I wonder if a film score takes cues from a classical composer and I scroll through the comments to see people saying the same thing

[nyle-style]

8th Doctor audio idea. He watches the first performance of The Rite of Spring. He faces aliens who are behind and/or profiting off the riot at the performance. Do you see my vision

[fredrickslizard]

They are in love

[poligraf]

First page from the Handwritten score of The Rite of Spring

[aestheticitii]

Terrible, terrible idea: for CYL propaganda, I write Chrobin fics based off of what seasonals they have in FEH

[anonymocha]

src: Composing Spring in This Room Where Cherry Blossoms Bloom / 春綴る、桜咲くこの部屋で

[yuripoll]

[attendtobeauty]

It's a great pleasure to share the delightful performance by Le Off (musiciens de l'Orchestre de Paris) of Stravinsky's Pastorale, a composition so different from his ballet and orchestral works.

[seishun-emergency]

decided to do a mao cosplay for the con im going to in a month... the wig i ordered is on its way and i have never felt more Fear

[lovedbythemooon]

Antonio Vivaldi's Decline & "The Four Seasons" Concerti

A/N: I'm becoming addicted to posting music analyses as of late. I'd rather do anything other than math homework *giggle*. This includes minimal information on Vivaldi's decline and The Four Seasons analysis, with an in-depth analysis on "L’Estate - Summer".

Although Vivaldi’s fame as a composer and musician earlier in his life did not translate into his lasting success, which affected him greatly financially. Shadowed by younger composers and more modern styles, Vivaldi left for Vienna, Austria, possibly trying to find a position in the imperial court. However, he found himself without a prominent patron following the death of Charles VI and was left to die in poverty in Vienna on July 28th, 1741. Vivaldi was buried in a simple grave after a service that proceeded without music. 

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer and virtuoso violinist, and whilst he was incredibly popular and influential during his earlier lifetime, his music fell out of favour after his death and was largely forgotten until the early 20th century. There are countless reasons for Vivaldi’s decline later in his life and after his death. One of the main factors was the change in musical taste of the time. The Baroque style of music that Vivaldi was known for, was replaced by the Classical style, which emphasized clarity and simplicity over the elaborate and complex composition of the Baroque era. Another factor was the decline of Venice, where Vivaldi spent much of his career. Venice was a cultural and economic powerhouse, and its love for the arts was a major factor in Vivialdi’s success. However, by the mid-18th century, Venice had lost most of its wealth, influence, and its cultural significance had diminished. Vivaldi’s music was simply forgotten as time passed. After his death, many of his pieces were lost or destroyed, along with his music not being performed for many years. It wasn't till the early 20th century that musicians and scholars began to rediscover his work and recognize its importance. In today's age, Vivaldi is recognized as one of the most important composers of the Baroque era. His influence can be heard in the works of many other composers, including Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart. 

The Four Seasons

One of Antonio Vivaldi’s most renowned pieces, The Four Seasons. The Four Seasons is a set of four violin concertos accompanied by sonnets, in which each represents the seasons of the year. Each concerto is divided into three movements, fast-slow-fast, like ways with the sonnets, each being divided into three stanzas. The concerti include:

La Primavera - Spring: This concerto is laced with features of spring, the sound of birds singing and the gentle breeze of the season. This piece represents the coming of spring and the renewal of nature, it depicts growth and peace. This concerto is more joyful and energetic in its movements. 

L’Autunno - Autumn: This concerto depicts the sounds of hunting and the harvest. The second movement represents the cooler air of autumn arriving with the softly arching strings. It is known for its rhythmic and lively movements. 

L’Inverno - Winter: This concerto is high-toned, it is to be associated with ice-cold wind, and freezing weather. The representation of the fast movements depicts a natural process so strong it cannot be controlled by man. This concerto is known for its dramatic movements all throughout. 

L’Estate - Summer Analysis

L’Estate, also known as “Summer”, is one of the four violin concertos that make up Antonio Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons”. It is a Baroque masterpiece that depicts the season of summer through vibrant melodies and extremely vivid musical imagery. 

As stated previously, this concerto is divided into three movements:

Allegro non molto - The first movement is noticed by its fast tempo and aggressive characteristic. It starts with an introduction from the orchestra before the solo violin enters with a series of virtuous chords and trills creating vivid imagery through the music. Throughout this movement the violin switches between quick fiery passages and softer, more lyrical melodies, creating a sense of tension and release all throughout. 

Adagio e piano - The second movement is slower, calmer, and tranquil in comparison to the first. The solo violin takes the centre, playing longer, softer cords that show the stillness of a summer evening. The orchestra provides a soft, but quicker, sustained flow of chords that depict the peacefulness of nature. 

Presto - The final movement is extremely fast, almost like a race in needs to be finished. The solo violin leads the change in tone, tempo, and dynamics with a series of almost lightning-fast chords, while the orchestra provides a driving, rhythmic pulse. This movement is known for its frequent sudden shifts in tempo, and dynamics, which reflects the true unpredictableness of nature and the violentness of the summer storms.  

Vivaldi’s impression of Summer; the intense heat begins to soon be replaced with a cool breeze and singing birds. Although the sudden shifts in tempo and dynamics, as well as the dramatic undertones and minor cords, show that even a cool refreshing breeze could turn into the most violent storm. Summer is an extraordinary example of Vivaldi’s talent and skill in his ability to use his music to create vivid imagery of the real world. 

[paul-archibald]

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) Russian Period

Igor Stravinsky was born in 1882  near St. Petersburg, Russia and died in 1971, in New York.  He is one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music. His compositions had a revolutionary impact on musical thought just before and after World War I, and he remained a cornerstone of modernism for much of his long working life.  Scherzo…