Rite of Spring at 100 years
When Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was first performed a century ago there were riots in the theater and the landscape of orchestral music was changed forever. We at the Quad City Symphony Orchestra are very excited to be performing this seminal piece, paired with one of the most popular pieces in the orchestral canon, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
This weekend the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will also be announcing its Masterworks season for 2013-14 and accepting season renewals. If you are currently a season subscriber, you will be able to pick up your form at the concerts. Any orders returned with payment at the concerts will receive a free commemorative Quad City Symphony Orchestra travel mug, so be sure to bring your check books and credit cards with you!
This performance of Rite of Spring will complete Mark Russell Smith's cycle of Stravinsky ballet anniversaries that began with 2010's performance of the Firebird and followed in 2011 by Petrushka. Descriptions of original performance describe a near-riot breaking out in reaction to the avante garde nature of the music and choreography. You can watch a BBC recreation of this monumental evening by clicking here.
You can read the program notes written by Dennis Loftin before attending the concert by clicking here.
And recently Maestro Mark Russell Smith gave a lecture at the University of Minnesota which you can view by clicking here.
To celebrate the performance of Mussorgsky's work, Bruce Walters, a Professor of Art at Western Illinois University, has created a series of drawings entitled "Pictures at an Exhibition." These works of art will be displayed in the RiverCenter from March 1-9, 2013. This series is Walters' interpretation of the music of Pictures at an Exhibition, influenced by descriptions of the artwork that originally inspired the music. Walters added a local feel to the works by placing Quad City area landmarks throughout the series. The series is online at www.walters-mussorgsky.info.
