THE ROOTS OF THE RITES OF SPRING

Olga Velitchkina et Sergey Starostin

The members of the polyphonic group “Virtual Village” committed themselves to a real piece of detective work: field-based research tracing the folk music and dance traditions (often ritualistic) that served as the source of Igor Stravinsky’s inspiration.

Some of the people they met along the way could attest that the famous composer had heard this song or that instrument, in his house in the Ukraine, while he was writing his ballet.

Olga Velitchkina (singer, ethnomusicologist) and Sergey Starostin (singer, multi-instrumentalist) take us through this astonishing and fruitful adventure, at the juncture of classical music and the Russian-Ukrainian traditions.

The show "The origins of the Rite of Spring" is programmed at the Alhambra the Saturday 11th november at 5 pm.

In partnership with Fondation Igor Stravinsky