Introduction
The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century was the epoch of revolutions: political revolutions, social revolutions, arts revolutions, revolutions of minds. And these radical changes became the exact causes for music of that era to transform alongside.
During this time the Russian identity was lost to the trends from overseas. When talking about culture among high society, all that was foreign and non-native was popular, even the language used was French, not Russian.
Igor Stravinsky was one of small number of people who was trying to change that situation, mainly through his work. The composer wanted to unveil the real life, rural life of his home land, and to show its magnificent power and astonishing beauty. And he managed to do so with his well known “Rite of Spring”, which changed the history as we know it.
Documentary plot
This beautiful documentary narrated by music director Michael Tillson Thomas and produced with the help of San Francisco Symphony depicts an incredible story of a wonderful young man, who despite his age, managed to turn the world of classic music of those days upside down. The movie takes us behind the curtains of Igor Stravinsky’s life story and his way to the top.
Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” was written in 1913 during the revolutionary times; it itself has revolutionized and redefined the standards of music and showed what music could be. This composer made the same influence on the world of music as Beethoven did hundred years earlier. Being taught and influenced mainly by his teach Rimsky Korsakov, Igor Stravinsky used a lot of his mentor’s motifs in his own work, taking the similar music it to another place, and not actually being afraid to make it sound savage, though so tender and natural, just as pure Russian soul was.
When producing “Rite of Spring” the composed]r used very unusual music instruments as well as music methods that were accepted neither by public nor by his fellow colleagues at first, due to their progressiveness that could not be fully understood at the time. Conclusion
Today this piece of music art is appreciated by most of music enthusiasts and critics and is considered to be one of the most essential and phenomenal pieces of music ever produced. Though being described as not to have any logical pattern in it, but being driven by pure instincts instead, it is refined despite its absolute brutality and savageness. Numerous musicians define it as a big wild party that is incredibly provocative, but so earthy at the same time. Women say that “Rite of Spring” is sexy and is like rock and roll of the days.
People’s opinions might differ from completely unacceptable, according to music standards, to absolutely astonishing and breathtaking experience, but one thing is clear enough, and it is that Igor Stravinsky fully achieved his goal of unveiling and showing the whole beauty of native (Russian) identity, that was brutal and beautiful at the same time, that looked so natural, though neglected by most of high society.
