Today a quintessential masterpiece of classical modernism, Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring caused a huge scandal at its premiere in 1913 – including brawls in the audience and 27 people injured. As part of Ars Electronica Home Delivery, music enthusiasts have the chance to listen to a version of the piece arranged for piano and four hands, performed by Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies accompanied by real-time visualizations by Cori O’Lan.
The very first performance of the ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian-born composer was at a private gathering for friends and admirers. Stravinsky himself was joined at the keyboard by his close friend, the great French composer Claude Debussy, another one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century. As you watch Maki Namekawa and Dennis Russell Davies perform, try to imagine which one of them is “Stravinsky” and which one is “Debussy”! The program will end with a Valentine’s Day greeting from Mozart.
