Scribd
Upload
151 views1 page

Rite of Spring Listening Worksheet

The Rite of Spring is a groundbreaking ballet by Igor Stravinsky from 1913 that depicts a pagan Russian spring ceremony. It tells the story of the ritualistic sacrifice of a virgin girl to the god of Spring. The ballet uses dissonant, rhythmically innovative music and controversial choreography that sparked riots at its premiere in Paris. The music helped start the Primitivism movement and aimed to mimic prehistoric sounds.

Uploaded by

helena_flint4891
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
151 views1 page

Rite of Spring Listening Worksheet

The Rite of Spring is a groundbreaking ballet by Igor Stravinsky from 1913 that depicts a pagan Russian spring ceremony. It tells the story of the ritualistic sacrifice of a virgin girl to the god of Spring. The ballet uses dissonant, rhythmically innovative music and controversial choreography that sparked riots at its premiere in Paris. The music helped start the Primitivism movement and aimed to mimic prehistoric sounds.

Uploaded by

helena_flint4891
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Name______________________

The Rite of Spring - Listening Worksheet

The Rite of Spring is a ballet by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) that premiered in 1913 in Paris,
France. The subject of the ballet is a pagan Russian ceremony celebrating Springtime. Over the
course of the work, various episodes depict the ritualistic abduction and sacrifice of a virgin girl to
the god of Spring. The final dance is the sacrificial girl dancing herself to death.

This ballet was groundbreaking in its use of musical dissonance and rhythm as well as its
controversial choreography. It sparked an uproar in the theater and led to a riot that spread out into
the streets of Paris. The music helped start a movement called Primitivism in which composers tried
to make sounds that mimicked prehistoric life.

Pre-listening questions:
1. What does the word “primitive” mean to you? What kinds of sounds do you think could be called
primitive?

2. What words would you use to describe ballet to someone who had never heard of it?

Read through all of the questions first then answer them during and after the musical example. The
example will be played for you twice. If you need more room for your responses, continue on back.

Questions Responses
1. How do the musicians perform the
music? What kind of articulations do the
brass use for repeated rhythms? How does
this contrast with the melodies in the
woodwinds?
2. How might the music (without the
choreography) be considered “primitive
sounding”? Is it pretty or harsh sounding?
Does it stay on one idea for very long or
does the music change quickly from one
idea to another?
3. How does the choreography line up with
the music? Do musical events happen on
stage with the dancers?
4. Why might the crowd at the premiere of
this ballet have been upset? Was it the
dancing, the music, or both?
http://youtu.be/jF1OQkHybEQ?t=2m41s

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy