Theodore Kim
V00960161
Music 116
Dr. Patrick Boyle
December 9, 2020

Optional Blog Prompt B for Choice Cuts

Discuss your interpretation of the controversy surrounding the premiere of “The Rite of Spring.” What was the big deal? Specifically, begin a discussion about at least one other musical event, composition, or situation that created a similar type of violent public outrage and compare/contrast it to The Rite situation.

To me, “The Rite of Spring” was controversial for being different from traditional western classical music, and in disagreement with some people’s views on ‘appropriate’ and enjoyable music. Some of the unusual characteristics of “The Rite of Spring” include a brutal and jarring plot, an orchestral emphasis on percussion, unexpected accents, polymeter, polyrhythm, ostinato, and strong dissonance. These characteristics were fascinating and innovative to some, and displeasing to others. I imagine that these differing opinions caused the controversy and the riots at the premiere. 

The concert, featuring Yuja Wang, and the musical comedy duo Hyung-ki Joo and Aleksey Igudesman combined virtuosic performance with comedy, which is uncommon in classical performance. While the concert did not create violent public outrage, it did cause controversy through its sexual and racial humour. According to a New York Times article by Joshua Barone, “some of the jokes … were a shame, especially considering that much of the evening was delightful;” however, in response to Barone’s initial review of the concert, someone argued that “some of the jokes were stupid … but not offensive,” which shows that both the concert and the premiere of “The Rite of Spring” attempted to be outside of the norm, and received mixed reviews as a result. Also, visual arts played an important role, and were partly responsible for the controversy in both performances. The two performances differ in musical style. “The Rite of Spring” possessed a modernist style of music, while the concert featured more traditional western classical music. The concert also had three performers, as opposed to “The Rite of Spring’s” orchestra and ballet troupe. Although the concert was not as violence-provoking,” it is one example of a musical event that caused controversy comparable at all to that of the premiere of “The Rite of Spring.” Indeed, it shows how unusual the uproar and riots surrounding the premiere are.

Works Cited

Barone, Joshua. “Was Yuja Wang’s Concert Satirical or Offensive? It’s Complicated.” The New York Times, 15 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/15/arts/music/yuja-wang-igudesman-joo-carnegie-hall.html. Accessed 9 Dec 2020.