100 Years of Le Sacre du printemps

In celebration of the centenary of Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), the Goethe-Institut, the Alliance Française de Glasgow and the University of Glasgow present two screenings of productions of The Rite of Spring, with an introduction by Dr Anselm Heinrich, Lecturer in Theatre Studies at Glasgow University. Stravinsky's original production premiered on 29 May 1913, and is considered the most influential piece of ballet and orchestral music of the 20th century.

The evening begins with Pina Bausch’s legendary 1975 choreography of the piece, put on stage just three years after she had become artistic director of the then Wuppertal Opera Ballet. Bausch’s setting of the Sacre includes 32 dancers who perform on a stage covered in thick dark earth. Her answer to Stravinsky's masterpiece marks a turning point for establishing her 'dance theatre' as a unique genre and inspired choreographers throughout the world.

For his 2011 version of Le Sacre du printemps, French choreographer Jean-Claude Gallotta chose to work on the version of the work recorded by Igor Stravinsky himself as he considers it to be one of the best: raw, unornamented, tough and directed without affection. Gallotta’s approach is threefold, with his Sacre is preceded by two short pieces: Tumulte and Pour Igor. In the former, the choreographer marks the contrast between the silence of the dance and the rhythm of the music. The second, a solo dance performance, is Gallotta’s ultimate tribute to the composer and his seminal work.