Rite One, Rite Two, Rite Riot

This morning after reading Delanceyplace about the 1913 Riot at the Rite in Paris, I took advantage of modern electronics and watched two large screen presentations of Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps to see what the disturbance was all about. In Paris, the first is abstruse, a one-ring circus of horses and men and difficult for a novice to perceive. I should have read about it before watching, but wanted to get that first audience’s sense of shock. No ballet fan, watching and wondering how they managed dozens of horses in that 1913 performance and why was Igor so surprised and infuriated at the riot, I watched another.

Same cacaphony, the second is in Berlin, hundreds of young dancers, girls and boys, two parts and to the point. With total chaos of both dancing and music, the second is like middle school gradual to high school, and almost delightful. Anyone who has taught middle school and been in the hall when classes are changing would feel right at home in a ballet where understanding, perceiving (thinking of the NT Greek word ἴδωσιν see, understand, perceive) is not part of the formula. Whether it’s ballet or concert orchestra I have no clue, may watch it again, still a different presentation, but certainly not just listen on the Bose without pictures. Without dancers it would be Apocalypse instead of Springtime. You have to be there in the hall between classes, otherwise you think you’re experiencing the eschaton.

So, why the riot at the 1913 premiere? Because it’s counter to all expectation, that’s why. A concept well worth trying Sunday morning in an Episcopal church: in three stages, a new persona for eight o’clock worship. First a riot of the elderly, second an empty vacancy, slowly building to can’t find a parking place outside much less a pew with an empty seat inside.

Wednesday noon at HNEC. 11:15 Healing prayers for those who come early. 11:30 Holy Communion [fifteen minutes max, my thirty-year Lenten specialty]. Bible study over lunch follows in Battin “fellowship” Hall. We don’t meet on Thanksgiving Wednesday, we don’t meet on Lessons & Carols Wednesday, we meet twice in December, then recess for the Christmas holidays, then resume Wednesday, January 15. At 78 I must add “God willing.” Having watched two performances of Le Sacre du printemps -- a riotous, chaotic, cacaphonic Sacrifice of the Mass -- I may change the Wednesday noon format going into Spring 2014. No horses.

Thinking of my own eschaton, I might choose as my heaven wandering for all eternity in the CoveSchool/HNES hall between classes, invisible, unseen, while Igor plays his tune about the Rite of Spring.

TW+