What are the key features of the first three sections of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring?
Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, first three sections (A-level only): Introduction, The Augurs of Spring, Ritual of Abduction. Irregular and additive rhythm, polyrhythm, ostinato, dissonance, polytonality, and huge orchestration.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work (A-level only), the first three sections of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Covers irregular and additive rhythm, polyrhythm, ostinato, dissonance, polytonality, the huge orchestration and the features the appraising exam rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
This is the third New Directions set work, studied at A-level only: the first three sections of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring (1913): the Introduction, The Augurs of Spring and Ritual of Abduction. You must know its revolutionary rhythm (irregular, additive, displaced accents, polyrhythm, ostinato), its dissonance and polytonality, its huge orchestration, and how it broke with tradition.
Context: the 1913 premiere
Rhythm: the revolution
Harmony: dissonance and polytonality
Orchestration and texture
How Edexcel examines this
This set work is examined with describe/evaluate questions on the rhythm and metre, the dissonance and polytonality, the orchestration, and how Stravinsky broke with tradition, supported by the anthology. It is a strong single set-work essay subject and features in the links essay (paired with another twentieth-century or orchestral extract; it links to Berlioz's orchestration and to the rhythmic drive of Cage). The mark scheme rewards the terms ostinato, additive/irregular metre, displaced accents, sforzando, polyrhythm, dissonance, polytonality, orchestration, located and tied to the primitive character.
Try this
Q1. Why is the opening of The Augurs of Spring so striking rhythmically? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. A dissonant chord is repeated as steady quavers but accented irregularly and unpredictably (sforzandi), creating primitive, driving energy.
Q2. What is polytonality, and where does Stravinsky use it? [Short explanation]
- Cue. Two keys or chords sounding at once; the Augurs chord superimposes two triads, a clear example.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20198 marksDescribe how Stravinsky uses rhythm and metre in The Augurs of Spring. (Component 3, Section A, with anthology)Show worked answer →
A Section A question on rhythm and metre.
Rhythm. The Augurs of Spring opens with a famous repeated dissonant chord stamped out with irregular, unpredictable accents (sforzandi) over a steady quaver pulse, creating violent, primitive rhythmic energy.
Metre. Stravinsky uses irregular and frequently changing time signatures, additive rhythms and displaced accents, breaking the regular metre of earlier music; ostinati drive the music.
Effect. A driving, percussive, primitive sound. Locate the accented chord and the irregular accents.
Markers reward the terms ostinato, irregular accents, sforzando, changing metre, additive rhythm, located in the music, not "exciting modern rhythms".
Edexcel 202220 marksEvaluate how Stravinsky uses rhythm, harmony and orchestration to break with tradition in the first three sections of The Rite of Spring. (Component 3, Section B, single set-work essay; rescoped to the schema cap)Show worked answer →
The single set-work evaluation (the live paper tariffs this at 30; rescoped here to the schema cap of 20). Marked on depth, context and evaluation.
Rhythm. Irregular and additive metres, displaced accents, polyrhythm and relentless ostinati create primitive, driving energy (The Augurs of Spring).
Harmony. Dissonance, polytonality (two chords or keys at once, the famous Augurs chord superimposes two triads), and static blocks rather than functional progression.
Orchestration. A vast orchestra used for raw, percussive colour and extreme registers (the high bassoon opening the Introduction).
Context. A 1913 ballet that caused a riot and revolutionised music. The top band evaluates how these elements break with tradition, with located detail, rather than narrating the ballet.
Related dot points
- Area of Study 6 New Directions: the three set works (Cage's Three Dances, Saariaho's Petals, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring), and the twentieth-century techniques of prepared piano, live electronics, extended techniques, and rhythmic and harmonic innovation.
An overview of Area of Study 6 (New Directions) for Edexcel A-Level Music. Introduces the three set works by Cage, Saariaho and Stravinsky and the twentieth-century techniques of prepared piano, live electronics, extended techniques and rhythmic innovation that the appraising exam rewards.
- John Cage: Three Dances for two prepared pianos, No. 1. The prepared piano, rhythmic structure (proportional/nested rhythm), percussive altered timbres, ostinato and the influence of gamelan and percussion music.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, the first of John Cage's Three Dances for two prepared pianos. Covers the prepared piano, rhythmic structure, percussive altered timbres, ostinato, the gamelan influence and the features the appraising exam rewards.
- Kaija Saariaho: Petals for solo cello and optional live electronics. Extended cello techniques, the contrast of pure and noisy sounds, live electronic processing (reverb, harmonisation), spectral timbre and free form.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, Kaija Saariaho's Petals for cello and live electronics. Covers extended cello techniques, the contrast of pure and noisy sounds, live electronic processing, spectral timbre, free form and the features the appraising exam rewards.
- Texture, structure (form) and rhythm as analytical tools: textural types, the standard forms, metre, syncopation, hemiola, polyrhythm and additive metre across the six areas of study.
A focused answer on texture, structure and rhythm for Edexcel A-Level Music appraising. Covers textural types, binary, ternary, rondo, sonata, ritornello and verse-chorus forms, metre, syncopation, hemiola, polyrhythm and additive metre, with the vocabulary and bar-referencing Component 3 rewards.
- Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique, movements 1 and 2 (movement 2 at A-level only). The Romantic programme symphony, the idee fixe, the expanded orchestra and orchestration, sonata form with a slow introduction, and the waltz movement.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, movements 1 and 2 of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Covers the Romantic programme symphony, the idee fixe, the expanded orchestra and orchestration, sonata form with a slow introduction, the waltz, and the features the appraising exam rewards.
Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel A-Level Music (9MU0) specification (Issue 7) — Pearson Edexcel (2016)
- Pearson set work support guide: Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring — Pearson Edexcel (2016)