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
Oct 15
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 2 (The One With the Funeral March)
When the great pianist and composer Frederic Chopin decided to write a piano sonata in 1837, fashions had turned against the genre itself. Perhaps it was a feeling that Beethoven had essentially "finished" the genre, or perhaps it was a sense that a non-Germanic composer couldn't ... Show More
53m 4s
Oct 1
Gerald Finzi: Dies Natalis
As I've often said, I love doing Patreon-sponsored episodes in part because they allow me to discover music I might never have encountered otherwise. Today's episode is one of those, because the truth is that before I made it, I had heard of Finzi, but that was about it. I knew n ... Show More
51m 35s
Sep 17
Shostakovich Symphony No. 6
Dmitri Shostakovich: "I have set myself a task fraught with tremendous responsibility, to express in sound the immortal image of Lenin as a great son of the Russian people and as a leader of the masses. I have received numerous letters from all over the Soviet Union with regard t ... Show More
1h 2m
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
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
Oct 2020
Music from the Classical Period
Here we talk about what distinguishes music from the Classical Period. We will analyze key pieces of music and discuss famous composers during this era. 
9m 10s
Sep 2015
Lisztomania
<p>Franz Liszt was a pianist, a composer and a conductor, and basically the first rock star who drove fans into fits of swooning and screaming. Some fans even stole the detritus of his life (unfinished coffee, broken piano strings) to carry with them. Read the show notes here.</p ... Show More
33m 42s
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
31m 22s
Jan 2022
SYMHC Classics: The Rite of Spring Riot
Riots are a distressingly common part of human history, and the strangest events can trigger widespread violence. In this 2011 episode, previous hosts Deblina and Sarah take a closer look at one of history's strangest riots. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartp ... Show More
23m 12s
Jul 2023
Music Of Chopin
Works include: Waltzes #3 &6, The Revolutionary Etude, Prelude #17, Scherzo #1, Nocturne #13 and Mazurka # 26. Pianists include: Alfred Cortot, Arthur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter, Claudio Arrau, Dinu Lipatti and Wilhelm Backhaus. 
42m 51s
Jan 2024
Let's Get Stringy
In today's episode, Stephen and Joanna pour over some of the most passionate music ever performed and conceived - the violin concerto. They explore the mechanics of violin playing, discuss their favourite virtuoso fiddlers and also explore major works by Elgar, Brahms, Tchaikovsk ... Show More
32m 49s