"Rigoroso (♪ = 126)": "The Rite of Spring" and the Forging of a Modernist Performing Style

Abstract

It is only recently that we have begun to consider modernist performing style-especially its brisk, unyielding tempos and abhorrence of "expressive" rubato-as a historical phenomenon. Much of the credit (or blame) for this style has been ascribed to the composer of The Rite of Spring; Richard Taruskin argues that "all truly modern musical performance... treats the music performed as if it were composed-or at least performed-by Stravinsky." But the performing history of the Rite shows that the composer struggled mightily to get his own music played "as if composed by Stravinsky." Early interpretations of the Rite were slower and more elastic-more "romantic"-than the composer wanted. Focusing on the "Danse sacrale," this paper examines the battles over tempo and rubato evidenced by historic recordings, piano rolls, and published documents. It also considers the unpublished compositional and performing materials for the Rite: Stravinsky's autograph short and full scores, and his annotated personal copies of the 1913 piano reduction and the 1922 and 1948 full scores. The record indicates (1) that tempo and pacing of many sections of the Rite were radically rethought between sketch and 1922 printed score; (2) that someone (Pierre Monteux?) indicated rubatos and changed many of Stravinsky's metronome marks on the autograph; (3) that early performances of the "Danse sacrale" featured unwritten tempo modifications for dramatic effect; and (4) that Stravinsky had to work for decades to fix in his score the rigoroso that has become the characteristic performing tempo of our time.