The Maidens from The Rite of SpringIn honor of the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Igor Stravinksy’s modernist classic, The Rite of Spring, Symphony Hall (channel 76) host Martin Goldsmith walks Bob through what happened that fateful night and why 100 years later, Stravinsky’s piece still packs an impressive musical punch. Stravinsky wrote The Rite of Spring for the avant-garde dance troupe the Ballets Russes. Lead by the charasimatic – and according to many, extremely difficult – dancer master Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballets Russes were known for pushing the art form forward and testing their audiences.
The National Gallery of Art is currently hosting the exhibition Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929. There you can see original costumes, set designs and artifacts designed by Coco Chanel, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Léon Bakst and other 20th century artists for the Ballets Russes. The exhibitions runs through September 2, 2013.