Hypersonic

If there was a single piece of music we could say was the most significant of the 20th Century, then it would almost certainly be Igor Stravinky's Rite Of Spring.

The violence of this music is quite ominous ...considering it was written just before the First World War. The Music, and the Ballet which accompanied it, actually caused a riot in Paris at its premier in 1913.

From Wikipedia
The Ballets Russes staged the first performance. The intensely rhythmic score and primitive scenario—a setting of scenes from pagan Russia—shocked audiences more accustomed to the demure conventions of classical ballet. Vaslav Nijinsky's choreography was a radical departure from classical ballet. Different from the long and graceful lines of traditional ballet, arms and legs were sharply bent. The dancers danced more from their pelvis than their feet, a style that later influenced Martha Graham. Stravinsky would later write in his autobiography of the process of working with Nijinsky on the choreography, writing: "the poor boy knew nothing of music" and that Nijinsky "had been saddled with a task beyond his capacity."[1] While Stravinsky praised Nijinsky's amazing dance talent, he was frustrated working with him on choreography.

The complex music and violent dance steps depicting fertility rites first drew catcalls and whistles from the crowd. At the start with the opening bassoon solo, the audience began to boo loudly due to the slight dischord in the background notes behind the bassoon's opening melody. There were loud arguments in the audience between supporters and opponents of the work. These were soon followed by shouts and fistfights in the aisles. The unrest in the audience eventually degenerated into a riot. The Paris police arrived by intermission, but they restored only limited order. Chaos reigned for the remainder of the performance, and Stravinsky himself was so upset on account of its reception that he fled the theater in mid-scene, reportedly crying


Igor Stravinsky, Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring), 1913.
(Extract)

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Mikael

I've heard a lot of classical music as my parents love it. I don't have any CD's myself, only a few pieces on my iPod. I do like listening to classical music.

A couple of other pieces that are popular because of movies, commercials etc.


Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra




Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries

Hypersonic

^ Thanks Mikael, both great composers who have an unfortunate connection with Fascism. Wagner's music was greatly admired by Hitler (almost to the point of obsession) ...and Richard Strauss was the official composer of the Nazis -- although it should be noted that Strauss privately did not share their views and secretly saved the lives of some of his Jewish friends.

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