The CSO will present its premier of Igor Stravinsky’s monumental work The Rite of Spring on Thursday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre.
Originally premiered in Paris at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on May 29, 1913 as Le Sacre du Printemps, this avant-garde ballet was received with an outbreak of riots and hysteria. The score was ground-breaking with its new uses of meter, tonality, rhythm, and dissonance creating a new abrasive orchestral sound, said officials. Stravinsky described the piece as “a musical-choreographic work, [representing] pagan Russia ... unified by a single idea: the mystery and great surge of the creative power of Spring,"
Over time, The Rite of Spring has become viewed as the single most important piece of 20th century symphonic literature that ushered in a new era of musical composition, said officials.
“The CSO will be performing Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring for the first time in its 81 year history. We most likely will not perform this again for a very long time, so Chattanooga shouldn’t miss this historical performance,” stated CSO Music Director Kayoko Dan.
Also on the program is Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Written and premiered in 1959, this dark and introspective work has become one of the most popular 20th century cello concertos. Guest artist Wesley Baldwin will join the CSO for this performance.
Tickets are available at www.chattanoogasymphony.org, or by calling 267-8583.