PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

OTD 111 years ago, arguably the greatest musical scandal and riot took place. 

Unlike shock rocker Alice Cooper’s 1980 cancellation in Toronto, this performance played till the end 

(despite the orchestra drowned out by rioters).

Introducing the OG shocker Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps

The ballet, performed by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and was equally scandalously choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky.

Premiering at the Theatre du Champs-Élysées in Paris on 29 May 1913 as mentioned earlier, it caused a riot. Not by the common folk (as sometimes erroneously claimed) but by the “toffs”. People from lower classes were simply too poor to be able to afford tickets. 

What caused these aristocrats, wealthy and well cultured balletomanes to riot?

It started, as the score did, with a bassoon. Not just a bassoon. With a bassoon solo in an unusually high register. 

This was done by Stravinsky to imitate the sound of a reed-pipe, used by shepherds, to the tune of the Lithuanian folk song “Tu, manu seserėlė” albeit with different flourishes and accents. 

Which leads to the perfect segue into one of my favourite composer/author quotes.

Stravinsky’s “A good composer does not imitate; he steals” compared with T.S. Eliot’s “Bad poets imitate, good poets steal.”

Which also links to my favourite Latin saying “nani gigantum humeris insidentes”.

Issac Newton’ letter better known “if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” 

Sorry, tangent! But then I am #ActuallyAutistic 

Eliot was good friends with Stravinsky and two thought alike especially regarding “stealing” and building upon others work.

For example in Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” the 2nd line ‘We are the stuffed men’ comes directly from Valerie Eliot, the marionette from Stravinsky’s 1911 “Petrouchka”. 

Furthermore, and continuing with the theme, and in the knowledge that my phone is dying and I’m straying for OG topic…

Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring introduced groundbreaking musical innovations that influenced many artists across disciplines, including T.S. Eliot in his poem "The Waste Land". The score's experiments with tonality, rhythm, and dissonance were revolutionary for its time.

Stravinsky's experiments in rhythm and dissonance had a profound and far-reaching influence on modern music. His revolutionary use of rhythm, particularly in The Rite of Spring, brought rhythm to the forefront of modern music rather than tonality. Stravinsky employed complex metrical patterns, irregular accents, and polyrhythms that challenged traditional notions of musical time. This opened the door for future composers to make rhythm more fluid and unpredictable within meters.

The harsh dissonances and jarring harmonies in works like The Rite of Spring pushed the boundaries of tonality and expanded the sonic palette available to composers. Stravinsky's use of bitonality (simultaneous use of two keys) and layered, clashing harmonies paved the way for more extreme experiments in atonality and dissonance.

His innovative approach inspired many subsequent composers to further explore new rhythmic and harmonic possibilities. Composers like Varèse, Ligeti, Copland, and Boulez were directly influenced by Stravinsky's rhythmic vitality and harmonic experimentation. 

Stravinsky's work set new standards for modernist composition and opened up new avenues for musical expression in the 20th century. His radical innovations in rhythm, meter, harmony and orchestration had a transformative effect, influencing multiple generations of composers across various styles and genres.

Eliot drew inspiration from Stravinsky's radical approach, incorporating similar techniques into his poetry. In "The Waste Land," Eliot employed fragmented narratives, abrupt shifts in tone and perspective, and juxtaposition of disparate elements - mirroring Stravinsky's use of dissonance and irregular rhythms.

Both works challenged traditional forms and expectations in their respective fields. Stravinsky's harsh sounds and complex rhythms found a parallel in Eliot's jarring imagery and disjointed structure. The poem's fragmented style and multiple voices echo the ballet's layered, polyrhythmic score.

By adapting Stravinsky's musical innovations to poetry, Eliot created a landmark modernist work that redefined poetic form and expression, much as The Rite of Spring revolutionised music and dance.