THE RITE OF SPRING - Flutes

Hi everyone! The Rite of Spring (le Sacre du Printemps) by Igor Stravinsky is one of the largest orchestral masterpieces of the 20th century. It has been one of my favorites that ultimately sparked my love for orchestral playing, and so I have wanted to put this video together for a long time.
This video took quite a bit of time to put together. I recorded while listening to the orchestra recording, and did not hear the other flute parts while recording. This way I tried my best just to line up with the orchestra for each flute part, and the parts ended up being together when I began editing the video. There were some very minor timing discrepancies, which I did fix by moving sections of audio by a few milliseconds to line up better with the recording. This is what they do in the professional recording industry for CDs and Albums! However, everything you hear in this video was played by me, myself, and I (other than the orchestra of course).
The orchestra recording is by the Danish Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and you can find the link here: • Stravinsky: Le sacre d...
I own no part of this recording and do not intend to make profits from this video.
You might notice that the audio is not perfectly lined up with the video- I recorded the audio for each part on an external microphone and it was difficult to perfectly line up the audio with the video.
Flute: Miyazawa Vision
Piccolo: Hammig 650/3 with Pettry Headjoint
Alto Flute: Dean Yang

[@dawlims1334]

Part I: 00:07 Introduction 03:40 Augurs of Spring 06:53 Ritual of Abduction 08:16 Spring Rounds 11:56 Ritual of the Rival Tribes 13:49 Procession of the Sage 14:32 Dance of the Earth Part II: 16:06 Introduction 20:24 Mystic Circles of the Young Girls 23:33 Glorification of the Chosen One 25:02 Evocation of the Ancestors 25:43 Ritual Action of the Ancestors 29:07 Sacrificial Dance

[@SaxandRelax]

Should be pinned!

[@sam_bamalam]

The alto flute part in the introduction will never get enough attention. It goes SO hard

[@Mcperson823]

Do you mean piccolo?

[@pepsilays6077]

⁠2:30 think its the alto flute part with the oboe solo and the really high clarinet. I agree it sounds really wierd and uncomfortable

[@moviemaestro800]

Having seen this brilliance, my dream now is for this to inspire other musicians to do the same with this piece, but with their relevant instrument groups from the piece. It would interesting to highlight what the bassoonists do beyond the iconic opening solo, or highlight how similarly complexly layered the horns are to the flutes in this piece.

[@user-xo5yw9bt3j]

Oh I would LOVE THAT as well!!! Can you imagine how much you would learn???!!!!

[@MrTyty527]

please link it here if anyone find others! love to see it

[@ouwebrood497]

Or the bass clarinet, I really like those parts too.

[@mrzepherman]

I might do something like this for the clarinet parts, however the clarinet parts are still pretty hard for me.

[@MrGumby385]

@@ouwebrood497yes, they are great!

[@TheTralfaz]

I am SO jealous of any performer that gets to play this masterpiece......our little regional orchestra just isnt up to scratch Im afraid

[@sarahphillips8968]

this is iconic

[@benjaminnylander1355]

THE WHOLE THING

[@brunomarques3161]

What an amazing rendition! I always thought the flutes on this piece were incredible, and hearing them isolated and clear like this is amazing. The bit from 9:22 to 10:02 with the piccolo trills are my favorite part! Cheers from Brazil!

[@mems.]

Would love to see this for the entire Planets suite! I’ve always wanted to hear music from the perspective of certain groups of instruments. Flutes are an especially interesting listen out of all the woodwind. Keep up the outstanding playing!

[@xavier12348]

Such a good idea

[@Snardbafulator]

It's funny how today _Le Sacre_ and The Planets are both cherished parts of the standard repertoire, but you couldn't mention The Planets (smashing success) in the same sentence with _Le Sacre_ (scandal) in 1920.

[@iggyseffects]

this deseves way more attention

[@mrmilkyshakes5657]

12:01 is my favorite part for flutes :)

[@smartbluedevil06]

Absolutely awesome. I can't imagine how much work you put into this to get it all lined up and the various parts.

[@MrDSCH-ib2mx]

Very nice to see only one particular part of this extraordinary ballet! Someone should make these kind of videos for the rest of the instruments!!

[@erics3317]

Wow, Stravinsky really didn't give you much time to breath in some of those long, extended passages with 16th note runs. They just go on forever without any breaks.

[@lindaxu1639]

one of my favorite videos on youtube. absolutely insane

[@TheSantiAcademy2024]

Legend has it that this piece caused such an outrage when it first premiered in 1913, that the whole theater (including the musicians) broke out into a riot.

[@miguelfontesmeira]

14:09 that part was incredible

[@wyattk.4304]

need one of these for every instrument

[@HereticBra55]

I've been working on a Low Brass version for this type of video for almost 2 years, but I'm such a perfectionist that I keep rerecording the older takes! It'll happen, eventually.... maybe. Great Job though!

[@pepsilays6077]

I would love to see that video ❤

[@HereticBra55]

@pepsilays6077 it's still a WIP, just need the time and better recording equipment. But stay tuned!

[@emmanuelmaxey1347]

14:09 is my fav of all time

[@1970stravinsky]

This is a brilliant idea, excellently produced! While obviously the balance is not what you would hear in a full live orchestral performance it gives a wonderful insight into the brilliant writing for the flutes, and would greatly enhance your listening to a full performance. It would be wonderful if other instrumentalists could make similar videos for other sections in the work.

[@moviemaestro800]

I was thinking the exact same thing. I would love this to inspire additional vids to come along and do similar highlight jobs, like for the conical brass (horns and tubas), or for the clarinet section, among others.

[@mrzepherman]

I’m thinking about doing this but for clarinets. I can get both a B flat and a Bass at my school, but I just need to figure out where to get an E flat and an A.

[@1970stravinsky]

@@mrzepherman And a D! (Though very few players have that, and play it on the E flat nowadays, though the writing for the D clarinet is very specific!)

[@mrzepherman]

yeah. I’m either gonna have to transpose the sheet music myself or buy the transposed sheet music

[@nick_culhane]

I'm thinking of making one for the oboes this summer! I don't have an English horn though so I'll have to edit an oboe to sound down a fifth

[@mimichelmi]

Wonderful experience to share, thank you.

[@wyattk.4304]

INCREDIBLE video

[@RenatoBarzon]

Eu amo o som da flauta em Sol.

[@benjaminnylander1355]

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MY WHOLE LIFE

[@AaronPetitPiano]

What a COOL idea. LOVE this!

[@rafffa26]

amazing

[@valadao]

Marvelous!

[@Le_Chat_Est_Moi]

Amazing!!!!

[@gabrielkatz1295]

Amazing

[@jaimereza7349]

Brilliant! ❤

[@daveydoodle52]

This gave me palpitations. Gorgeous. Thank you!

[@davidrowe1004]

Awesome!

[@mrsoldatov2106]

Thank you, amazing job!

[@raeho0525]

Awesome~~~ cool

[@fingerhorn4]

Beautifully done!

[@brunocoliveira89]

THANK FOU FOR POSTING THIS

[@seb_the_rat]

my favs - 5:19 5:38 33:20

[@eastmarvista3267]

Marvelous! Great to see your videos returning to KZbin.

[@joeweinberg3108]

THIS IS GENIUS

[@chicolofi]

Great video, and thank you for the opportunity to appreciate how beautiful the flute parts in this piece are.

[@francissadleir9805]

This truly highlights what a masterpiece in orchestration and part writing this piece is.

[@shanat7]

Bravo!!!

[@kavalkid1]

Thank you so much!

[@afcsport]

Gratitude. Thank you for this experience. You are a superb musician.

[@toddmichaelwillis]

You did a fantastic job! From one flute player to another 🙏💥

[@OrqinusOrca]

As someone who plays the flute and absolute adores The Rite, you have no idea how happy I am to have stumbled across this!! Thank you so much for sharing :D

[@pawdaw]

Fabulous work. I'm hearing, and appreciating so much more of what the flutes do in this piece (esp the piccolo). And realising that the flutes are playing most of the time!

[@user-pq6hg4qh7i]

Bravo!!

[@keithwalker3890]

Awesome, Ethan!

[@neilcarlos4265]

Sensacional. Um aula formidável. Parabéns!!!

[@QuartetodoRio]

Excelente!! Obrigado pela aula 🎶👏👏

[@OdinWormcake]

This is a masterclass in itself for composers and arrangers

[@markbernard4156]

You are AMAZING Ethan omg

[@spudsmith]

The Rite of Spring is my favourite work and it's a joy to stumble across this amazing insight into a single section in this massive work, thank you SO much for putting this together man!

[@dianebluemke8172]

So well done. This is a great tutorial for anyone wanting to add this piece to their repertoire. I always encourage my students to review as many of the classics/standard pieces for orchestra as a way of building skills. This is the perfect study piece. Thank you!

[@lucpraslan]

Go Ethan! Fabulous 👍🏻👍🏻

[@cbo208]

Beautiful job

[@tony8074]

Epic!

[@user-xo5yw9bt3j]

I am LOVING this! I have studied composition and orchestration with some incredible teachers, just recently watched a deep dive into the Rite. This is an EXCELLENT idea! Thank you!!

[@DavesTrumpet]

Great job, Ethan!

[@MusicalMe]

This is really cool to watch and inspiring 😁

[@simonalamicomposer5154]

Good job 👏

[@ashcoates3168]

And I thought the bass part was hard!!! Bravo on all fronts!!!!

[@ab-zg8pt]

Sounding fabulous as usual I'm loving the buzz cut on you, so handsome!

[@3OrMoreBones]

I'm so doing this with trombones. Like, what a great format!

[@darkness8514]

Very epic! I especially love the noisy keywork on the alto flute :D

[@lucastrophelg634]

You sound amazing! It’s so cool to hear the individual parts and you clearly put a lot of work into this. Someone make this in Clarinet form plsss

Please do more like this format

[@chemprofmatt]

Love me some alto flute! After bass clarinet it's probably my favorite sound.

[@slkett77645]

THIS IS SO COOL 🫠🥰🥲🤩 I LOVE the runs after 12:00 GAH

[@dedede5586]

alto flute at 2:17 is absolutely insane, nice job

[@HeathcliffBlair]

Great work, and fantastically useful as an orchestration teaching tool. It would be wonderful if similar videos could be produced for each section of the Rite's orchestra. Tough to produce! Your video is a brilliant start to that. Thanks. 🙂

[@Jeff_Segal]

Wowsers! Great stuff, especially being able to hear all those great alto flute lines. Normally the solos are easily audible but there is so much more going on! Bravo!!!

[@shawnmarko7131]

Just sent a link to my flute prof and said "wowsers" in the email, lol. No doubt wowsers 😂

[@Jeff_Segal]

Listening again. Still wowsers! Back in the day, I was lucky enough to perform Le Sacre a dozen times or so, but I was always playing the piccolo trumpet. From back there, you don’t get to here a lot of these amazing flute, and especially alto flute lines

[@shawnmarko7131]

Double bassist with flute dreams here lol we get to carve mountains in these excerpts. Down picking metal bands, only a pale imitation of these Down Bows!

[@jonrellim]

I love this. It allows everyone to see and hear the condensed part of the flute section. Very well done. Also I can't believe more composers use the alto flute, it is quite a beautiful instrument. Btw the original recording is of a Dutch orchestra, not Danish.

[@AKoribut]

Great playing! Thank you! 27:00 is Shradieck on flutes)

[@JohnnyWagner-Music]

PART ONE: ADORATION OF THE EARTH ​​INTRODUCTION 1:31 - 2:13 2:18 - 2:45 - Alto Flute Solo 2:38 - 3:05* AUGURS OF SPRING 3:58 4:09 - 4:16* 4:49 - 4:48 5:22 - 5:28 - Flute 1 Solo 5:38 - 6:08 - Alto Flute Solo 6:16-6:52 - Piccolo Solo RITUAL OF ABDUCTION 6:56 - 7:22 7:24 - 7:29 7:30 - 7:40 7:47 - 7:58 SPRING ROUNDS 8:11 - 8:42 9:22 - 9:40 9:42 - 10:00 - Piccolo Solo 10:24 - 11:07 11:08 - 11:24 11:25 - 1:55 - Alto Flute Solo RITUAL OF THE RIVAL TRIBE 12:01 - 12:11 12:21 - 12:36 12:41 - 12:54 13:02 - 13:04 13:15 - 13:27 13:35 - 13:45 PROCESSION OF THE SAGE 14:08 - 14:29 DANCE OF THE EARTH 14:54 - 15:20 15:52 - 16:00 PART TWO: THE SACRIFICE ​​INTRODUCTION 16:06 - 16:54 16:55 - 17:23 17:26 - 17:47 - Alto Flute Solo 19:02 - 19:58 MYSTIC CIRCLES OF THE YOUNG GIRLS 20:52 - 21:04 - Alto Flute Solo 21:39 - 22:07 22:19 - 22:30 22:58 - 23:14 23:25 GLORIFICATION OF THE CHOSEN ONE 23:32 - 23:50 23:55 - 24:01 24:02 - 24:18 24:29 - 24:42 24:43 - 25:00 EVOCATION OF THE ANCESTORS 25:05 - 25:40 RITUAL OF THE ANCESTORS 26:07 - 26:26 - Alto Flute Solo 26:35 - 27:19 27:20 - 27:33* 27:41 - 27:52 27:59 - 28:15 28:26 - 28:37 - Alto Flute Solo SACRIFICIAL DANCE 29:14 - 29:21 29:32 - 29:35 29:58 30:13 - 30:19 30:28 - 30:42 30:56 - 31:08 31:17 - 31:23 31:33 - 31:36 31:52 - 31:57 32:19 - 32:42 32:47 - 33:11 33:15 - 33:33 33:35 - 33:38

[@Lucco9778]

I NEED THIS FROM A BASSOONS/CONTRA PROSPECTIVE

[@nathanhol42001]

If you could do this with Daphnis et Chloé or The Planets someday, I would be over the moon

[@jojaspismusic8531]

I thought you made an arrangement for only flutes...😅 That would have been something!!! How many flutes would that have taken (from bass-flute to piccolo)! Also love the arrangement for 4 piano's Love your video of this masterpiece.

[@nattehall3802]

Upload FIREBIRD (1910 BALLET) - Flutes

[@chwombat5103]

Bravo!!! Master piece. I thought piccolo guy is your twin bro and Alto flute is another player.😂 My daughter also think 3 people play this video.😁

[@VPharp]

It took me a minute to realize you didn’t just cut your hair to record the alto flute part 😂 great playing 👏🏼

[@paulmuirhead48]

How did you not hear the flute parts while listening to the orchestra? Did you cut them out? I'm genuinely curious.

[@cambrysanchez2804]

I aspire to be this good. How long have you been playing?

[@ZackSansing]

Now please do Mahlers 9, 2, 7, pictures Ravel, la mer, all of Holst the planets (including alto flute ones and 2nd piccolo ones), American in Paris, Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2, "Little Russian, all of the firebird 1910, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 and 15, Respighi: "Fountains of Rome," "Pines of Rome,” Schoenberg: Violin Concerto; Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2, "The Wooden Prince." R. Strauss: "Don Juan," "Brentano" Lieder, "Also Sprach Zarathustra.", Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 and upload all of it to KZbin. Then do some pieces SFS did for 2003-2004 like Toch: From "Bunte" Suite; Mozart: "Exsultate, jubilate"; Mahler: Symphony No. 4, Berlioz: "Romeo et Juliette, Brahms violin concerto, Smetana: "Bartered Bride" Overture; Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1; Anders Hillborg: "Exquisite Corpse"; Scriabin: "Poem of Ecstasy, Debussy (orch. Holloway): "En blanc et noir"; John Adams: "My Father Knew Charles Ives"; Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 3, Mussorgsky: "Night on Bald Mountain"; Salonen: "Insomnia"; Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1, Bartok: Suite from "The Miraculous Mandarin, Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad, Ravel mother goose suite, Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6, Bach: Mass in B Minor, Debussy: "Rondes de printemps" from "Images"; Prokofiev: Sinfonia concertante; Franck: Symphony in D Minor, and Takemitsu: "From me flows what you call time"; Holst: "The Planets."

[@tartholemew]

Any tips on counting difficult rests/passages?

[@pianissimo5951]

2:51 that's a lot of mario sfx

[@afcsport]

Please do Daphnis et Chloe next please.

[@pianissimo5951]

2:19 wait was that the lick

[@jacobtapianieto9655]

With some passing notes, but yes!

[@pwdempsey02]

How did you remove the flute parts from the original recording?

[@-vunhatgiang-1811]

13:13

[@mrnnhnz]

Amazing. By the way, I'm a Rite lover, not specifically a flute lover (though of course flutes are cool, and a great part of the orchestra.) I know the editing of this probably took almost as much time as learning the music, but if you do this again, can you please put the music on-screen the whole time, not just when the flutes are playing? (Potentially with other parts showing up as cues where useful, but at least showing the millions of whole bar rests - with the time-signatures.) That way I can conduct along with the video. Pretend I'm Herbert von Karjan or something 🙂 No, strike that. My favourite version is with Claudio Abbado conducting. I'll be him 😀 Thanks for uploading. I've listened to the Rite about 10 million times, but never like this, and I think I learned a few new things from the experience! Incidentally, you look a bit like Ethan Hawke 🙂

[@maximiliangeier9637]

Nooo! Don't die camera!!! 😢😂

[@chrisoconnor9521]

That's the fluffiest piccolo sound ever. Not suited to Stravinsky at all.

[@m44p25]

Awesome!