All The Russias 1. The Little Birch Tree (8 of 13)

All The Russias

Stravinsky really grasped the essence of folk music.
His music contains that wild energy.
STRAVINSKY Petrushka I remember the first time I heard a real village accordionist.
It was pure Stravinsky.
He took chords and moved them around.
He played with tonalities and rhythms.
I'm sure Stravinsky had heard this.
That's the secret of his style.
Russian folklore is our musical wealth.
I think Stravinsky really made the best use of what was available there to go to the top and become a Tsar, you know, of the music.
And 'Le Sacre' was the best army he led.

STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring 'Pictures of Pagan Russia' is how Stravinsky described.
'The Rite of Spring' - a solemn, pagan rite.
Elders seated in a circle watching a young girl dance herself to death.
The Kostroma ritual, which still survives in parts of Russia, could have its roots in something similar.
There's a doll which represents a person.
Everyone blesses it, loves it, exalts it.
Then they tear it apart or drown it.
It 's a sacrifice.
This is an eternal doll.
We bid farewell to Spring and throw it into the harvest.
BABA LENA Villager We rip it to pieces and then begin work.
We carry it to the rye field and rip it there.