logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
45m 57s

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Part 1

JOSHUA WEILERSTEIN
About this episode

The most famous thing about Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring is the riot that took place at its premiere.  Perhaps its overcompensating for classical music's reputation for being a bit stuffy, but musicians and musicologists LOVE talking about the riot at the Rite of Spring, and I’m no exception.  But you might be surprised to know that the Rite Riot was by no means the only disturbance at a classical concert. There are myriad stories of chaos at concerts throughout musical history, but none of them are as famous as what happened on May 29th, 1913. We'll talk about the riot, why it happened, and its aftermath. We'll also discuss this groundbreaking piece, which was revolutionary in almost every way, while being more grounded in the past than you might think. As the great writer Tom Service says, “there’s nothing so old as a musical revolution.” Join us this week for part 1, the Adoration of the Earth!

Up next
Mar 2025
Amy Beach, "Gaelic" Symphony
Amy Beach is a name that might not be familiar to you. She was born in 1867 and died in 1944, and her life was one of the most fascinating and varied in musical history. She was a child prodigy, became a successful pianist, and then pivoted to composing at her husband’s request. ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2025
Sticky Notes en Français! Shostakovich Symphonie No. 13 (Bonus Episode)
Voici un épisode bonus spécial de Sticky Notes en français, en avant-première de mes concerts avec l'Orchestre National de Lille, présentant la 13e symphonie de Shostakovich. Si vous souhaitez écouter la version anglaise de cet épisode, elle est disponible dans les archives. Je m ... Show More
1h 10m
Feb 2025
Smetana: Ma Vlast
Nationalism, patriotism, cultural identity, a sense of home; these are concepts and ideas whose popularity have ebbed and flowed throughout history. Nationalism has been seen as a natural expression of cultural identity and pride, and it also has been at the core of virulent raci ... Show More
1h 5m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Riot in the Concert Hall
It became known as the ‘Skandalkonzert’: an evening of expressionist, experimental pieces at Vienna’s Great Hall of the Musikverein on March 31, 1913, which so disturbed the audience that rioting and slapping ensued, followed by a lawsuit. In time, it established the reputations ... Show More
11m 25s
Mar 2022
The Rite of Spring Riot
Subscribe to the podcast! https://podfollow.com/everythingeverywhere/ Classical music is not usually associated with rowdiness and mayhem. They tend to be rather well-behaved and if anything, they might express their disapproval by simplifying not clapping loudly enough.  However ... Show More
12m 49s
Jun 2016
"Bread Flutes and Red-Shaped Instruments": Stravinsky & Debussy
Episode two HOT OFF THE PODCAST PRESS. Featuring the life and times of Stravinsky and Debussy in 60 seconds or less (or more) and a song which is legitimately about a man with a bag of fleas. ENJOY! Music featured in this episode: "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy "Chansons de Bi ... Show More
43m 23s
Jul 2016
"Turtle-Dad and Angel Chunes": Modern Classical Music
"MODERN?! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." is what some people might say when other people start talking about modern classical music. But we shan't leave your house we're going to stand here and chat to you about it and hopefully make you laugh or maybe make you spill your drink maybe both ... Show More
33m 55s
May 2016
"Drunken Piano Clowns And Saint PETE": The Beginning
Welcome to the first episode of That Classical Podcast! Do you like classical music? Then COME ON DOWN. Do you not like classical music? THEN COME ON EVEN MORE DOWN. This episode we talk about why we think classical music is great, and why we really want you to think the same. Mu ... Show More
34m 36s
Apr 2016
Mozart's Requiem
How Mozart's Requiem, written when he was dying, has touched and changed people's lives. Crime writer Val McDermid recalls how this music helped her after the loss of her father. Hypnotist Athanasios Komianos recounts how the piece took him to the darker side of the spirit world. ... Show More
27m 36s
Dec 2023
Mahler's Second premieres in NYC
Synopsis At Carnegie Hall on today’s date in 1908, Gustav Mahler conducted the New York Symphony, the 200-voice Oratorio Society chorus and two vocal soloists in the American premiere of his Symphony No. 2, his Resurrection Symphony. These days, Mahler’s Second ranks among his mo ... Show More
2 m
Sep 2020
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT III, Putting the Classism in Classical
Before Beethoven’s time, classical music culture looked and sounded quite different. When Mozart premiered his Symphony 31 in the late 1700s, it was standard for audiences to clap, cheer, and yell “da capo!” (Italian for “from the beginning!”) in the middle of a performance. Afte ... Show More
32m 22s
Feb 2012
Rachmaninov, 2nd Piano Concerto
Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto - famously featured in David Lean's film "Brief Encounter" - is one of the world's most popular pieces of classical music. Some of its fans describe the way in which it has touched and shaped their lives. Featuring a pianist from Taiwan whose memo ... Show More
27m 33s