Broadcast Runtime: 1 hour, 9 minutes
Rediscover the pieces by Stravinsky that sent shockwaves throughout the 20th century in the world of classical music! The Firebird and The Rite of Spring are treated to a spiritual reworking by Thierry Malandain, director of the Centre Chorégraphique National Malandain Ballet Biarritz, and his associate, Martin Harriague. The pair of celebrated choreographers underline the religious role of The Firebird as a conduit of light linking Earth and Heaven. Their vision of The Rite of Spring emphasizes the tectonic power of the ballet through pulsating, sophisticated choreography.
The premiere of The Rite of Spring at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in May 1913 was of course the stuff of legends: one of the greatest scandals in all of classical music history. To cite a firsthand account from painter Valentine Hugo, speaking to journalist Georges Charensol in 1953: “Everything that has been written about the riot of The Rite of Spring doesn’t come close to reality. It was as if the theater had been hit by an earthquake, it shook from the shock. You couldn’t hear the music for the shouting, the insults, and the whistles—and then came the slaps and the punches.”