The Rite of Spring is TERRIFYING! (Full Analysis)

Sit down and watch this analysis of the famously chaotic, yet beautiful, Rite of Spring.
Recording and live performance footage from the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle in 2017. The expression they all show is phenomenal! Original video: • Stravinsky The Rite of...
This video contains copyrighted material that is used for educational and analytical purposes under the principles of fair use. The use of this copyrighted materials is intended to enhance the viewer's overall understanding of the subject and create meaningful discussion. The inclusion of these materials is not intended to infringe upon the rights of the copyright owners.

[@quel2324]

I'm obsessed with this piece right now. I may listen to the whole once a day, and I still love it the same as the first time. It's just always giving surprises. Great analysis, especially at helping with the imagery and instrumentation. Not too technical, not to obvious.

[@The_Xylophone]

This piece is full of little secrets and details. Keep listening my friend, my analysis only scratched the surface 😂

[@DC_Dusk_King]

Great analysis! The Rite was the work that pushed me into musical composition years ago, showing me the truly limitless possibility music held, especially in contexts that weren't necessarily classical in nature. This single work has done so much for me as a composer, from being my first and greatest inspiration, to being the topic of the first conversation between the maestro of my local symphony, a friendship that has awarded me the chance to have my music performed by a live orchestra. And while Stravinsky, as an individual, was not the greatest person, he was a genius in music and composition. Great video!

[@The_Xylophone]

My favourite thing about this piece is that it manages to be beautifully chaotic and terrifying, frequently using crazy textures and techniques not normal in most other works, while still being sound and quite genius from a orchestration POV. And I’m very happy for your performance opportunity! Especially with a symphony orchestra! Please tell me more about this.

[@timmols1335]

I could listen to you talk about music for hours

[@prestonforayter7747]

I can see why there was a riot after the debut of this piece.

[@fierywomanpacnw7004]

Actually the riot was *during* the piece ;)

[@dimasgirl2749]

The riot part might just be an urban legend, although my sisters once said that someone might consider people getting up and storming indignantly out of the theater to be a riot.

[@Paolo8772]

It's horrifying. You die from atonality, you die trying to play it, you die trying to dance it and you totally die if you get it wrong, and that's why I love it. What else is there to say about the Sacrificial Dance form The Rite of Spring?

[@WoodDuck14]

This piece is actually mostly tonal.

[@MarimbaPlayr]

Underrated is heck bro! You’ve earned a subscriber!

[@lukashansen3370]

I'm currently writing an assignment about this piece, and this video really helped me through my mid-work depression, mainly because of the jokes and memes. Thanks a lot mate!

[@magenta-rosepark4965]

One of my favorite compositions. I guess it takes a weird introvert and music nerd to love both calm music and dissonant music.

[@salmonidae3667]

This was my introduction to Stravinsky, even before Firebird, Petrushka, and Pulcinella. Still one of my favourite pieces of all time.

[@quack2024]

agreed.

[@Rgoid]

Stravinsky’s Rite: A pagan celebration of nature culminating in a girl dancing herself to death. Disney’s Rite: Dinosaurs.

[@DocKrazy]

Disney's rite: also a celebration of nature culminating in the death of dinosaurs Just saying. I can see the logic

[@Rgoid]

@@DocKrazy Point taken.

[@Idk_Shinobu]

Ohh. No wonder it sounds so familiar 😭🙏🏾

[@kaleb8246m]

I loved watching this so much! I also did an analysis of a small section of this piece for a school assignment, and its so cool to see other ideas I never thought about! Such a fun and entertaining video too!

[@spectre8_fulcrum]

a level music students, this video is for you

[@Classical4Piano]

And Stravinsky addicts too lol

[@JeffreyHietala]

John Williams was greatly influenced by this piece when he wrote the Star Wars:A New Hope film music score. Two parts in Rite Of Spring in particular sound like Star Wars. The intro to the 2nd part sounds like the Dune Sea Of Tatooine music(when C-3PO is walking alone in the desert) and the Ritual Action Of The Ancestors sounds very much like the music that plays when R2 is captured by the Jawas.

[@LightSearch]

I would love to hear your analysis of a piece by Scriabin.

Well done and thank you!! On my travels as a musician and becoming a composer I discovered Stravinsky in the later 1960s. I wrote a paper on the Rite of Spring in 1980 when I was studying at Cornish in Seattle. Anyway, I always loved this piece and all the stories that surround it. Again, nice job and thank you!

[@epicdude257]

20:35 ngl this is the song that plays in my head at school when im confused

[@brynjaraamfuglestad]

I hope this blows up. Brilliantly done!

[@Snardbafulator]

My all-time fave classical piece, all periods included. My favorite take remains Michael Tilson Thomas and Ralph Grierson's reading of the 1913 composer's two-piano reduction to rehearse the ballet. Strips it right down to its quivering, sinewy essence.

[@jazzcoffeeartcafeofficial]

Now that you explained it, now I completely understand, I never knew there was a meaning behind this music, I was 4 years old when I watched fantasia, that was the reason at 4 years old after watching the movie I loved orchestra. But I loved how you explained about this, thank you for this video!! This music piece is a masterpiece.

[@jeremyhaupt5022]

"Poco a crescendo" is not about tempo, it's about dynamics. Get louder little by little...

[@The_Xylophone]

Yes I believe misread that marking. Thank you my friend!

[@dedede5586]

this is my favorite piece of all time and i love your analysis :)

[@HouseWildercrest]

This piece is to music what the Garden of Earthly Delights is to painting.

[@kirill429]

Awesome analysis. I wish the volume between the voiceover and the music itself was more balanced.

[@The_Xylophone]

Sorry to hear that. Glad you still enjoyed

[@skyler6101]

8:04 you’re listening to this piece wrong if your volume doesn’t go up at this part

[@The_Xylophone]

RIP Ears

[@cerealbowl7038]

12:48 The "tenor tubas" in this piece are not euphoniums as you have pictured. They are actually tenor Wagner tubas. This can be confusing since the term is commonly used for both instruments.

[@The_Xylophone]

It depends on the performance, of course. Different orchestras have different resources available to them. But you are right, there is a difference between those instruments. :)

[@cerealbowl7038]

@@The_Xylophone No performance that I am aware of uses euphoniums.

[@courtney1496]

Thank you sir, trying to introduce my kids to Stravinsky. They only like the augures printaniers part 😮‍💨

[@mrnnhnz]

So frustrating listening to the trombones playing those two notes as separate notes instead of the glissandi they're supposed to be. You can clearly see in the score, "gliss." You know the bit I mean. Come on! (And why do you think he gave it to the trombones in the first place!? They're superb at glissandi.) Oh, and The Rite wasn't an acquired taste for me! I heard it for the first time when I was like 8, and it was mind-blowingly awesome right then - and has remained that way to me every since. You went to the trouble of mentioning the guiro - but not the fact that it's playing in quintuplets? It's distinctive enough on its own, but add the fact that it's quintuplet rhythm seriously puts you on edge, and you've got a super powerful combo! And you mentioned that the intro to the second section sounds like Star Wars. No. Star Wars sounds like it! John Williams was clearly very influenced by The Rite when he wrote the score to Star Wars. There are A LOT of very similar bits. And the Rite came first!

[@The_Xylophone]

Next time I’ll make details like this more clear lol thanks

[@jonaswaliczek5347]

really good video!

[@GKim-cz6wi]

Amazing analysis!

[@jericolozares8446]

I just discovered this channel and I love his storytelling. Will subscribe and like! Keep it up.

[@wolfgangamadeusmozart3639]

Great video

[@The_Xylophone]

NO WAY IT'S MOZART!!

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

Fun fact, the bassoon at the beginning reaches the low soprano register. It would be the C (faCe) in the treble clef.

[@The_Xylophone]

For the time it was an insane note

[@RiceWitch-dingus-400]

@@The_Xylophone It was originally for the french bassoon as the older german had only a high a, maybe a high c, but there is still a high d and e in there so it would be impossible back then.

[@TheMormonSorceress]

You should watch the Fantasia Rite of Spring segment

[@The_Xylophone]

I did a while back

[@neila4440]

Well done-love how you’re showing up as you unapologetically-I’ve subscribed. Please more of these!

[@The_Xylophone]

There is a big one like this on the way my friend

[@toprak3479]

Nice analysis

[@carllouis83]

Hey, your efforts are amazing for sharing knowledge, but as you speak breathlessly, without giving any rest between sentences make me feel tired after 3-4 minutes and i could continue to listen only by forcing myself to continue. And the tone of your voice as you are not giving it any colour or nuances makes it even more tiring to listen.

[@LearnCompositionOnline]

Same. Also it is an analytical commentary without score, not music theory.

[@The_Xylophone]

That was my mistake. When I was cutting out empty space between sentences I was far too strict. The next video like this will be far better in every aspect. I’m glad to have people like you not afraid to give constructive feedback when necessary, it really helps!

[@freddyhall8253]

​@@The_Xylophoneroasted

[@gabrielfynsk]

This is fun and funny at times, but it’s not really an “analysis”, if anything it’s just a voice-over narrative rundown of the music itself… I think I’d rather just listen to the music.

[@The_Xylophone]

Ok fair

[@trevjr]

Terrific job! As much as I love my Bach,, Beethoven, Mahler, Chopin, Scriabin etc I have been binging on this piece all the videos that are available, I even watched something about reconstructing the original Nijinski ballet. For me, I always remember that this is a ballet so we are only experiencing half of the work. You really described the amazing sound created by the orchestra. Mahler, Bruckner and Shostakovitch all created new sounds and Igor certainly created so many new effects in 1 piece, so damn amazing. You know that Chopin said he wanted his Impromptus to not sound composed, in a way this sounds like the orchestra is just making this up, it is so wild and unpredictable. I walk around all day humming and singing snippets of this piece for the last 2 weeks now. The orchestra and Simon are completely virtuosic here, so wild but clear and precise. I almost wish you would make a longer version and include more music, its hard to not get into parts and want to hear a longer excerpt. I know you have to skip some other great parts, go for it. Check out the Maazel recording, the way he does that trombone snarl like death is coming soon, jeez.

[@The_Xylophone]

Thanks so much for your kind words! I listened to the part of the recording you mentioned and that is definitely a good lesson on how powerful the trombones can be if they want to SNARL. Absolutely ear shattering. Also, I will take note for future videos like this and leave musical excerpts for longer, because I think a lot of people agree with you on this. More context is better.

[@tonyni7139]

I could fall asleep to his video Good video though!

[@davidmintzer3743]

Great analysis but the graphics are so distracting and unecessary.

[@The_Xylophone]

I understand. I am still learning this whole video making thing.

[@fyvewytches]

@@The_Xylophone May I suggest not to cut the silences between sentences. It’s ok to take a breather form time to time, not only for yourself but for your audiences ears too. As with writing, punctuated voice is essential.

[@IgnisConsumens]

Having quickly grown fond of the meme culture, the graphics are perfect to me.