#RiotofSpring
The initial premiere of Stravisnky’s “Rite of Spring” has been talked about and rumored about so much that it has become almost like legend. Whether the rumors of a mass riot in the concert hall are true or just myth, those stories have no doubt left a sustained impact on the perception of the premiere of “Rite of Spring”.
In 2013 conductor François-Xavier Roth decided to premiere again the original “Rite of Spring”. This original version (orchestration and execution) had not been touched nor attempted for 100 years. Roth’s hope was that 100 years was long enough! According to the above Times’ London Archive Article, “Igor Stravinsky’s masterpiece was considered so outrageous when it received its premiere in Paris in 1913 that the audience revolted, first attacking one another and then the musicians, who had to play under a barrage of vegetables.” One might say that the 1913 premiere of “Rite of Spring” was ‘#Cancelled’.
It is interesting to think about audience reaction from 1913 to 2013 and beyond. Today’s reactions occur as immediately as a tomato being thrown! Performances are judged by audience members via Social Media (mainly Twitter). Whether it’s an ovation or a raspberry, reactions to performances and premieres today spread like wildfire on the internet. Often times these reactions spread due to people jumping on top of each other’s responses. Thus, public perception highly is visible.
I’m sure a conductor like Roth does not care about what people may say on Twitter, however the ‘Twitterverse’s’ reaction to a premiere in different mediums can make or break not only the premiere itself, but the artists and producers behind the premiere. A reaction on Twitter today holds equal weight if not an even larger weight than vegetables being thrown in 1913. I think an apt conversion would be that one 1913 tomato or vegetable is equal to 10 negative tweets…with inflation of course;)
I think the key difference between a tweet and a tomato however, is that the people who were rumored to have been throwing tomatoes were at least experiencing the premiere. Today we have people reacting to premieres that have not even seen the work. They are reacting to people’s reactions, thus creating an infinite outrage culture. Ultimately, Roth’s ‘Rite of Spring’ was met with excitement and ovation from critics, although other premieres are not so lucky.
There is a very interesting dynamic at play here today that raises the question: is public perception valid. I believe this question goes back to the vegetable throwers; were they valid? It is a tough question, and I think the answer varies. I think the biggest issue is that this outrage culture can inhibit artists from being creative and taking risks. Stravisnky’s “Rite of Spring” was a massive risk, and he was met with early criticism, however he knew that his work was impactful. I think it says a lot about Roth reviving “Rite of Spring” in its original form. Roth understood the initial criticism, but believed that over time those risks Stravinsky took paid off.
Hopefully more artists and viewers will understand that a work of art should not be instantly judged in 280 characters, or a tomato.
