Igor Stravinsky’s innovative employment of rhythms and his reimaging of orchestral and chamber music makes him one of the seminal figures in the development of “modern” music. He was revolutionary enough that the Paris premiere of his ballet Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) resulted in something of a riot — fistfights, police, the whole shebang.
We 21st-century folk are rather more broadminded musically than our counterparts of a century ago. But that doesn’t mean we ought not to check out Stravinsky and find out what all the fuss was about.
Sunday’s a great chance to do just that, as a pit band composed of Long Beach Symphony Orchestra principal players will give a free performance of Stravinsky’s virtuosic “A Soldier’s Tale” at the Art Theatre.
“I think it’s an opportunity to experience some live music that was performed at approximately the same era as the building in which you’re hearing it was built,” says Rick Berry, the LBSO’s director of marketing and communications. “It’s a chance to have a little throwback experience.”
While the performance will not include the three actors and ballerina part of Stravinsky and writer C.F. Ramuz’s original conception for “A Soldier’s Tale,” actor Steve Stapenhorst will narrate the original text, which is a retelling of the Faust legend mixed with a Russian folktale.
“We don’t have the resources to have the actors and a director,” says Gary Bovyer, the LBSO’s principal clarinetist, “but I’ve done it before in this format, and it works great. You’re not getting Stravinsky’s original conception, but you’re getting a lot closer than if you just listened to the music.”
Bovyer says that musically “A Soldier’s Tale” is a rhythmically-driven piece performed by a chamber ensemble recontextualized as a jazz combo (with the bassoon, for example, playing the role a saxophone traditionally plays in jazz) delivering tango licks, a waltz movement, and a even a Ragtime movement.
“This was a break with Stravinsky’s large, post-Romantic stuff and a move toward economy in writing,” Bovyer says. “His neo-primitivism really shocked people,. Composers of the time were really saddled with music of the 19th century, which [had] pushed harmonic language about as far as it could go. Stravinsky pushed out of those conformities not only with his use of rhythm but also through his inclusion of folk musics. […] He was one of the critical people who really pushed the envelope and opened the door for what happened in the 20th century. He was one of those pivotal composers, like Beethoven.”
Sunday’s show is a the third in the LBSO’s 2011–’12 “Sounds & Spaces” series, free events featuring LBSO players performing shorter works in unique architectural spaces. For Sunday’s Art Theatre show, John Thomas, president of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, will give a brief talk on the theater’s architecture.
“The main reason [the LBSO is putting on the “Sounds & Spaces” events] was we wanted to reach out into the community and perform in the community, just to have a new entry point for people to experience our high level of musicianship,” says Berry.
The “Sounds & Spaces” series has been made possible by a combination of grants from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association, along with individual donations. “We’ve had this in the planning stages for a couple of years,” Berry reports, “so we’re happy to finally have the funds to do it.”
Berry hopes that next season’s series, which begins in the fall, will feature seven events. “We’ll eventually work our way around to all the council districts,” he says.
But you’ve still got this season, which means Sunday, then June performances in the Aquarium and the Main Library.
“Stravinsky in the Art Theatre” takes place Sunday, May 6, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free, but ” reservations must be made to assure admission.” Call (562) 436-3203 ext. 244 or e-mail [email protected] to reserve your seat. For more information, visit the “Sounds & Spaces” Website.