The Riot of Spring

By Mitchell Hadley

Tonight (Friday) we'll be taking in a performance of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps), one of the greatest of all modern classical works, as part of an all-Stravinsky joint concert by the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Stravinsky's score, along with Nijinsky's choreography was nothing short of a scandal when it premiered in Paris in May of 1913. As you can see from the recreation in this BBC2 docudrama from the 1990s, the reception was - well, let's just say that here's hoping we don't see a repeat tonight!