Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance
Listening Guide
Begin at 26:50
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Composition: Rite of Spring, Sacrificial Dance
Date: 1913
Genre: Ballet music
Form: Specific passages accompany changes in choreography
Performing Forces: Full orchestra
What we want you to remember about this composition:
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Flute repeated pattern based on scale tones.
Wind and soft plucked stringed accompaniment.
Steady slower pulse in accompaniment.
Muted trumpets state theme.
Wind and plucked stringed accompaniment continues.
Violins enter softly.
Wind and plucked stringed accompaniment continues.
Loud French horn entrance on fanfare-like part.
French horn, bass drum, strings.
Oboe melody alternates with orchestra.
Oboe, strings, brass, bassoons.
Restatement of loud French horn entrance.
French horn, bass drum, cymbals, strings.
[Muted trombone]; Low [Alto] flute.
English horn, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, muted brass, drum.
Strings.
String section with percussion.
Short, hard notes, irregular rhythms.
Strings.
Winds and soft plucked stringed accompaniment.
Trombones.
Winds and soft plucked stringed accompaniment.
Triplet trombone fanfare over plucked string parts.
Muted trumpets and strings answer.
Strings.
Plucked stringed accompaniment becomes immediately loud.
Trumpet fanfare.
Plucked stringed accompaniment remains loud.
French horns join fanfare section.
Plucked stringed accompaniment remains loud.
Plucked stringed accompaniment becomes the melody.
Winds and soft plucked stringed accompaniment.
Violins.
Scale patterns become very fast and loud.
Silence.
Strings and percussion.
Restatement of section at 29:29.
Brass and percussion.
Brass and percussion.
Percussion faster and louder.
Horn riffs up to high notes.
Add high clarinet.
Silence.
Strings and percussion.
Restatement of section at 29:29 and 31:31.
Full orchestra.
Multiple loud fanfare-like parts in many sections.
Piece builds.
Strings.
Similar to 29:29, 31:31, 32:42 but more intense.
Brass.
Full orchestra.
Rhythmic figure carries intensity of the dance to end.