Brussels Philharmonic: Le sacre du printemps
One work will appear on concert programmes all over the world this year: The Rite of Spring (Le sacre du printemps). One hundred years ago the ballet, with music by Igor Stravinsky, brought things to a head between the followers of the “old” music and the “new”, with its ruthless settling of accounts with established values.
CD | Brussels Philharmonic ●●●●
Le sacre du printemps – Le chant du Rossignol classical music (Brussels Philharmonic Recordings)
Following its legendary premiere, one reviewer recalled: “No sooner had the first bars been played than the catcalls began, followed by lots of shouting, which in turn was drowned by applause. About forty protesters were expelled from the theatre, but that in no way meant the end of the turmoil. I can still see Mademoiselle Piltz [the protagonist in the ballet] completing her strange dance of religious hysteria on a stage that was eclipsed by the bright lights of the auditorium, as if accompanied by the incoherent ravings of a crowd of angry men and women.” The pandemonium was so great that the police finally had to interrupt the performance. The work went on to become a succès de scandale – and still enjoys a tremendous reputation today. Mission accomplished for team Igor Stravinsky-Sergei Diaghilev (Diaghilev was the artistic director of the Ballets Russes). Stravinsky’s score is recognised as one of those works that radically changed ideas about music. The melody is often missing – or is broken down into short, intertwined motifs. The thunder of wild rhythms is heard not only from the percussion players: the strings and the brass are also deployed as percussion instruments, pounding out harsh sounds in very high and very low registers. But the most compelling and hypnotic aspect of this music is the liberation of rhythm as its most important and driving force. This 2009 live performance by the Brussels Philharmonic is by an orchestra in top form: intense and rhythmically razor-sharp. Its Paris audience was wildly enthusiastic – and so are we.
9/3, 20.15, €5 > 30, Flagey, www.flagey.be
Le sacre du printemps – Le chant du Rossignol classical music (Brussels Philharmonic Recordings)
Following its legendary premiere, one reviewer recalled: “No sooner had the first bars been played than the catcalls began, followed by lots of shouting, which in turn was drowned by applause. About forty protesters were expelled from the theatre, but that in no way meant the end of the turmoil. I can still see Mademoiselle Piltz [the protagonist in the ballet] completing her strange dance of religious hysteria on a stage that was eclipsed by the bright lights of the auditorium, as if accompanied by the incoherent ravings of a crowd of angry men and women.” The pandemonium was so great that the police finally had to interrupt the performance. The work went on to become a succès de scandale – and still enjoys a tremendous reputation today. Mission accomplished for team Igor Stravinsky-Sergei Diaghilev (Diaghilev was the artistic director of the Ballets Russes). Stravinsky’s score is recognised as one of those works that radically changed ideas about music. The melody is often missing – or is broken down into short, intertwined motifs. The thunder of wild rhythms is heard not only from the percussion players: the strings and the brass are also deployed as percussion instruments, pounding out harsh sounds in very high and very low registers. But the most compelling and hypnotic aspect of this music is the liberation of rhythm as its most important and driving force. This 2009 live performance by the Brussels Philharmonic is by an orchestra in top form: intense and rhythmically razor-sharp. Its Paris audience was wildly enthusiastic – and so are we.
9/3, 20.15, €5 > 30, Flagey, www.flagey.be
Read more about: Muziek
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