by Addie Yoon
A Music major with a concentration in Woodwinds, Addie Yoon wrote this essay for Robert Scafe’s “Music, Sound & Noise” class.
Envision yourself in the audience in May of 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, at the first premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring. Much of the audience dressed elegantly as they anticipated a performance that emphasized the conventional qualities found in European classical music. However, Stravinsky delivered a more radical form of art that connected with global politics such as the women’s suffrage movement in the United States and the growing amount of political unrest leading up to the outbreak of the First World War. The music sounds raucous and baseless with little information through which to comprehend a harmonic structure. In addition, the choreography, originally designed by virtuosic dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, does not seem to exist, and the dancers appear to be possessed by an unknown entity throughout the performance: feet stomping, bodies maneuvering in unforeseen poses, dancers jumping as if they were on hot coals, and arms flailing attempting to reach the heavens. Then, everything ceases when the young virgin sacrifices herself and is lifted towards the sky. 
The premiere The Rite of Spring was met with an intense protest as the audience did not expect a performance that was radical following the Romantic era of music. Pierre Monteax, the conductor of the orchestra who was premiering The Rite, recalls the boos and cat-calling from the audience came shortly after the introduction had begun and soon the responses became physical among the onlookers (Kelly 292). This dramatic shift in what was known as classical music signaled the desire for the exploration of new forms of expression within instrumental music, ballet, or art that were gaining traction in the early 20th century. But why was this work met with such disapproval? German philosopher Theodor Adorno, best known for his Essays on Music, stated there is a false sense of individual freedom within this work, a “pseudo-individualization” that has been amplified by a structure that actually prohibits such freedom. Musically, pseudo-individualization can be best described as an illusion created through standard musical notation along with standard rhythms and meters among each instrument; therefore, the product is delivered conventionally. There is nothing unique about the same elements of western tonal music arranged differently yet again. However, I contend that The Rite of Spring does express individual artistic freedom in an unconventional fashion that is unique for the performing arts. While I recognize that the music and choreography of the ballet are seemingly random and sporadic, I insist that each individual part among the performers bears a level of expressivity and freedom that intertwines with the artists’ overall desire to create art for the world to observe and critique. What I take away from my own experience with this piece is it is an allusion to reality that is often disregarded by humanity. Primitivity is an innate quality found within modern human behaviors and has become uncomfortable to accept especially when they are explicit in artistic performances. The Rite of Spring not only garnered a considerable reputation that persists today for changing perspectives on traditional western classical music, Stravinsky was also able to make use of his environment and knowledge to create an experience of a pagan Russian ritual in the form of Nietzsche’s concept of tragedy rather than composing for a status quo. 
Before we dive into the analysis of The Rite itself, we must understand the concepts of Apollonian and Dionysian music as discussed by philosopher Frederich Nietzsche as these two ideas not only contribute to the experience displayed in The Rite but also develop another element known as tragedy. These ideas are important to understand when looking at a piece such as The Rite as they can be helpful for the audience to decipher the motives behind creating a work that sparked some controversy for its time.
Nietzsche, a 19th century German philosopher, believed good art revolves around precision and expression; both must coexist with one another in order to properly convey its message to the audience. Apollonian art is described as a form that depends on the sense of a “dream-reality” in which individuals respond and interpret these images for their own self-pleasure (Nietzsche 20). Derived from the Greek god Apollo, Nietzsche implies that Apollo and Apollonian art display an objective reality that follows an ordered and direct approach but does not reveal any of the underlying motives or expressional freedom, often leaving viewers in the unknown (Nietzsche 21). In the Rite of Spring, it can be said that much of the audience’s reaction was in response to its lack of conventional choreography and musical harmony that were typical of ballets and compositions prior to the 20th century. An example in stark contrast to The Rite would be Frederic Chopin’s ballet Les sylphides which was also performed on the same night of The Rite (Kelly 287). The choreography and music demonstrated order and precision in a manner such that when performed together, they seemed on the same plane of objectivity. Chopin, a Polish composer from the Romantic era, was best known for his piano works, all of which appealed to the traditional ideals of western classical music in terms of tonality and harmonic structure. In contrast, the Apollonian nature of The Rite may not be apparent right away; however, the piece still dwells within the realm of traditional tonality as simple chords can still be identified. 
On the other end of the spectrum is Dionysian art, which stands in contrast to Apollonian art. Nietzsche describes Dionysian art as an instance where individuals restore the sense of communal relationship between one another primarily through song and dance, which has the capability to put them in an “intoxicated” state (Nietzsche 22-23). In contrast to Apollonian art, the individual is shown by being captivated by music and dancing (two activities often associated with community), which gives them permission to express themselves in a manner in which they become an element of the art and community. In The Rite, the dancers demonstrate this process of “self-annihilation” and becoming one with everyone when they all flail their arms and bodies in obscene gestures while the music demonstrates an entity that possesses the dancers, ultimately sacrificing their identities as they prepare to engage in the ritual for the coming of spring.
As we have seen so far, the descriptions of Apollonian and Dionysian art indicate that these forms of art have relatively opposing qualities; however, neither one can dominate the other. They must coexist with one another to create what is known as a “tragedy.” According to Nietzsche, the tragedy can be described as a competition between the Apollonian and Dionysian forces in which the artists themselves attempt to mitigate them and insert balance (Nietzsche 19, 23, 24). This feud between contrasting artistic styles is often described as “good art” by Nietzsche as people have an innate desire to incorporate precision and infatuation throughout the course of their lives, so balance is typically sought by many. However, as Nietzsche believes, the seeking of pleasure is often accompanied by a painful process, and this seeking and pain are illustrated by Nietzsche’s idea of the “lyric poet,” who is an individual influenced by the ordered and direct Apollonian dream state while simultaneously being fused with music, a facet of Dionysian art (Nietzsche 35). Lyric poets are in this constant battle with themselves between the concentrated and objective and the desire to break away from precision and display their emotions. They soon become intoxicated by the resulting sorrow and, when successfully blended, their words gather the powerful mixture of this emotional state, eventually fusing themselves into the essence of the art they are attempting to portray, the artist simultaneously becoming a subjective and objective figure.
Using this concept of tragedy from Nietzsche, we can better understand certain passages and the experiences conveyed from The Rite of Spring. It can be argued that a tragedy occurs in the “Sacrificial Dance,” which is the last episode in the second part, “The Sacrifice.” In the latter portion of this movement, the flute’s ascending gesture dissipates into the air, leaving no substance before the final punch from the ensemble (4:13-4:18). The plot of this ballet revolves around a sacrificial ritual for the arrival of spring; however, in this specific part of the work, we get a brief moment of ease from the musical gesture presented by the flutes. The flourishing motif displayed by the flute along with the juxtaposing final note of the piece creates the beauty seen in the young virgin’s sacrifice and ascension to the gods alongside the idea of death itself, and despite the context, her sacrifice has some beauty in it as she is the symbol for spring’s arrival. Thus, the contrasting elements of the light music and symbol of death makes this an example of Nietzsche’s concept of tragedy. 
The process of conveying the qualities found in Apollonian and Dionysian music is complex, but how does one decipher this relatively simple balancing act? Jacques Riviere, contemporary writer, critic and a supporter of The Rite of Spring, writes how the musician, in this case Stravinsky, has “several things to say at the same time” and they may “walk in several opposite directions at the same time” to project their own sense of individuality amid everyone else attempting to do the same (Riviere 128). As Riviere believes, implementing expression into one’s performance or interpretation of music cannot be approached via a singular plane or direction because there is a level of dynamism as we allow our emotions to be present in its creation. Within the context of Stravinsky’s work, Riviere believes that he strives for the harmonies and rhythms to “say things” and to “express them clearly” despite what may occur in the background (Riviere 128-129). In other words, the harmonies and rhythms demonstrate the Apollonian element of the piece. Contrary to the many perceptions during the time of the ballet’s premiere, Stravinsky aimed to convey meaning by having the instruments be their own character within the work. As stated earlier, many things want to be said all at once, and the music sounded the way it did as this may have been an attempt for Stravinsky to illustrate his thoughts into song or dance, which is a notoriously difficult task to achieve, more so than in a typical symphony. The Rite of Spring very well may have been an attempt for Stravinsky to compose a piece that unveils the psychological struggle between the desire for expressivity and freedom and the traditional approaches to classical composition. 
Stravinsky himself has provided some insight on his motives behind the ballet in an interview with Ricciotto Canudo, editor of the Montjoie! journal, in an article titled “What I Wished to Express in ‘The Consecration of Spring.’” In this article, he explains, “the musical material itself swells, enlarges, expands. Each instrument is like a bud which grows on the bark of an aged tree; it becomes part of an imposing whole” (“What I Wished to Express”). Not only does he state what he wanted for each instrument in the piece, he also verifies Riviere’s insight that Stravinsky wanted some form of characters to be presented by the instruments and that they had a function in the storyline. An example of these instruments being part of something bigger would be in the introduction of the second part of the ballet. The horns lay out a D minor chord underneath the woodwinds, who have lines that go back and forth from a Db major chord to an Eb minor. Both chords are dissonant in themselves, but within the context of the entire ensemble, the Apollonian aesthetics of these chords contribute to the uneasy and eerie Dionysian soundscape, foreshadowing the fate of the young virgin. These chordal elements, though objective or Apollonian in nature, exist on a plane of a Dionysian aesthetic due to the dissonances they create.
Critics of The Rite may assert that these instruments within the music have very little structural integrity in which expressivity and freedom (both elements of Dionysian music) can be built off due to their sparse sense of tonality. Theodor Adorno, a German philosopher from the early 20th century and critic of The Rite, argues that much of the melodic and rhythmic gestures are “detached from the musical content,” “function coloristically, not constructively,” or are “tabooed” (Adorno 113-114). Adorno believes that these gestures have no impact on the development of the work itself, almost equating this to his argument on popular music. He continues to criticize Stravinsky for his lack of interest in the even fundamentals of music theory and his compositional decisions in some of his other works such as Petruska. Adorno does not believe The Rite was a unique piece for its time since there was no sense of development or an illustration of a character as was seen in works from the previous musical era, particularly from the classical period that had composers such as Beethoven.
However, there are problems with Adorno’s critiques. He believes these melodic and rhythmic gestures have a “coloristic function”; this language contradicts his idea on the lack of expressivity within The Rite. Let us analyze the choreography and the music in the ballet. In the film Riot at the Rite, when we observe the character of the young virgin towards the end of the ballet, she participates in the ritual for spring. Periodically, she breaks from her trance and attempts to flee from the circle that has been made by her clan, only to be pushed back and regain her poise with a hint of fear from her trembling legs (“Riot at the Rite,” 1:17:37-1:18:02). Out of all the characters, she is the only one whose movements have some expressivity lying underneath. She displays fear in her eyes as she dances, clumsily attempts to flee from her circle of clans, and falls from fatigue, only to rise with determination as if she were to be possessed by an entity to complete the ritual.
Furthermore, the ballet is full of instances of expressivity or moments that distinguish one voice from another. Musically, towards the middle of “The Augurs of Spring”, we are introduced to a horn melody that is later picked up by the flute as the accompaniment underneath becomes lighter in instrumentation and tone (1:34-2:03). As we listen, you can hear the shaping that is done by the melody as it soars across the ensemble; this was not present at the beginning of the ballet. These contrast with the aggressive and percussive rhythms that were introduced at the beginning of the movement, and there is an audible shift in tonal and rhythmic color for a moment until the music transitions to the next part. And while many critics thought that Stravinsky’s Rite has been noted to be full of chaotic particles from the dissonant harmonies, there are unique compositional methods he utilized that form some structural unity amidst the dissonance.
After an analysis of the harmonies found in “The Augurs of Spring,” there are two chords that are utilized throughout the movement from which motifs are built. For example, the percussive gestures that are introduced at the beginning of the movement are built from an E major triad with an Eb dominant 7 on top. 
Following the opening, we are introduced to an ostinato that is performed by the english horn, and those notes are built from the Bb, Db, and Eb of the Eb7 chord.
Even though these are dissonant harmonies, when the chord is split among the different instruments, they are two separate entities with little relation to each other. Following this section, we transition into a lighter soundscape in which the melodic gestures from the horns and solo flute enters while the same ostinato from earlier carries on underneath, but the mode has changed as the dissonance has been cleared for a moment. From these two examples derived from the musical score, we are able to get a glimpse into Stravinsky’s compositional process, which shows that the music was not created absentmindedly. There is fundamental understanding of harmony, and he decided to utilize these standardized elements of western tonal music for his own creative endeavors. 
Adorno made an assertion that Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring does not establish a foundation that allows for individuality and freedom to take place; instead, he believes that its musical content is not necessarily unique. However, in truth, Stravinsky further challenged creativity barriers as to what music should and should not be as this composition explored those different registers, which allows us as the listener to venture into different soundscapes within the orchestral world. A conventional approach to musical structure was not absent as some critics believe; Stravinsky was able to pace the music and insert the melodies whenever necessary, which can be quite a contrast to music found in the era prior to The Rite. While I understand some listeners’ distaste towards chaos and dissonance, we must lessen the misconception that these qualities in music are just unique facets within the work. Artists hold a desire to contribute works that reflect a change in society, and as the audience, we must not be too quick to judge and take a moment to acknowledge our surroundings as we also contribute to that change.
Works Cited
Adorno, Theodor W., et al. “On Popular Music.” Essays on Music / Theodor W. Adorno. Selected, with Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by Richard Leppert, New Translations by Susan H. Gillespie, University of California Press, 2002. pp.437-453.
Adorno, Theodor W., and Hullot-Kentor, Robert. Philosophy of New Music / Theodor W. Adorno. Translated, Edited, and with an Introduction by Robert Hullot-Kentor, University of Minnesota Press, 2006.
Kelly, Thomas Forrest. First Nights: Five Musical Premieres. Yale University Press, 2001.
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. The Birth of Tragedy / Friedrich Nietzsche. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Douglas Smith, Oxford University Press, 2000.
The Rite of Spring. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/album/13GSfOTgzZjwp8JhmxgZr0?si=X3kBuLPuTHycdkkZJBkORg. Accessed 2022.
Rivière, Jacques. The Ideal Reader: Selected Essays. Meridian Books, 1960.
Stravinsky, Igor. The Rite of Spring. 1913. Boosey & Hawkes, 1948.
Stravinsky, Vera, and Robert Craft. Stravinsky In Pictures and Documents. Simon and Schuster, 1978.
Wilson, Andy, director. Riot at the Rite. BBC2, 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcZ7lfdhVQw&t=3830s. Accessed 2022.