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Rite of Spring (Stravinsky)
there is a madness in the music.
the madness of rebellious composers, & of poets.
of lovers, & of those who suffer for believing
there is a place beyond obscurity.
L’Adoration de la Terre:
there is rage in the choreography.
the dancers profess their pagan adoration
of Spring, mistress of renewal.
they dance a sexual frenzy, in thrall to Gaia.
their dementia deviates into terpsichore,
as their king kneels & kisses the earth.
Le Sacrifice:
the ballerinas arrive from the river.
they are lithe & lovely, as ballerinas are,
clothed in peasant tunics, torn & form-fitting.
& the fairest of these becomes the ‘chosen.’
but the primitive dance steps, lacking the grace & fluidity
of traditional ballet, are met with disdain by the audience.
(who are we to judge?
we are human parodies in a penny opera.)
in the final movement, the girl dances
because the gods demand it.
her maneuvers are contorted, & energetic,
almost ugly, & exquisitely beautiful.
until the intensity of it ravages her,
& she lay upon the stage…& does not move.
it is the music
& the dancing
& the beauty
that killed her.
(the way of all art)
Published 21st Jul 2013
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Anonymous
21st Jul 2013 2:05am
Thank you for this wonderfully cultural poem
A pleasure to read
A pleasure to read
Anonymous
21st Jul 2013 6:46am
I have yet to see this performed - but you bring it to life wonderfully.
21st Jul 2013 9:07am
21st Jul 2013 2:45pm
Its first performance in Paris caused a riot in the theatre in which police had to be called.
9th Aug 2013 00:45am
yes i really very much like this piece of yours, John. You have captured some of the serrated edge of beauty that cuts right to the heart of poetry and you have payed a fine compliment to monsieur Stravinsky to boot.
Anonymous
- Edited 29th May 2016 9:21am
29th May 2016 9:15am
<< post removed >>
11th Nov 2016 11:57am
