Rite of Spring

The Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring) is now 100 years old, but our ears might fancy that the score is much newer still. Not to choose a single best version is the true option of the ones who raves about this master piece of music, though anyone should note that Pierre Boulez is outstanding at the conductor desk, with several orchestras.

Courtesy of YouTube (bar one),
– Pierre Boulez conducting the Orchestre de Paris in 2002.
– Igor Markevitch with an unquoted orchestra, live in Japan in 1968.
– Essa-Pekka Salonen, conducting an unquoted orchestra | « With 2013 being the Centenary year for Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Esa-Pekka Salonen discusses his relationship with this seminal work, and its continuing relevance in a 21st century context. (…) » (Vimeo, much better than YouTube).
– The 1947 version, performed by the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest conducted by Jaap van Zweden live in the outstanding Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
– The choregraphy by Maurice Béjart, as amazing today as in 1970.
– The seemingly original Nijinsky’s choregraphy, in a recent live performance by the Mariensky ballet with Valery Gergiev leading the orchestra (not always at the perfect pitch).
– IS speaking about his masterpiece : Part #1 | Part #2.
– (…/…) as curated by MusicOL (and EcritOL as well, in French though).

(Clin de Clic aBdM).

& :
– Outstanding IS documentary, in many different languages (53″, Sveriges Television, 2001).
– 100 years after riot, Rite remains (Utah Public Radio) | Ballets Russes drove audiences away from modern music? Just the opposite (Washington Post).
– Stravinsky ? | Yeux de feu – (WebOL).