Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring

Rival Tribes

Stravinsky has interestingly scored his Rite of Spring for a large brass section, with 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, and two bass tubas. The “Rival Tribes” begins with trombones and tubas, with the third trombone playing in the low registers (C naturals and C# below the staff). The horns then take over three bars after R. 57 with a soli figure. The first trumpet follows with a muted passage with accompaniment figures in the trombones and tubas. Interestingly Stravinsky doubles the low F-sharp on beat 3 between the bass trombone and tuba. The rhythm is slightly different with the trombone playing an eighth note and the tubas a half note. This orchestration provides the note with a brighter punch and sustaining sound that is darker in color. The horns soli passage comes back again at R. 58. Four bars before R. 59 a new element is used with a triplet figure in the horns and tuba. Tuba 1 then has a solo in the next bar, in a higher register of the instrument. At R. 61 there is duet with muted trumpets. 2 the trumpet in D is used playing the upper harmony to the other trumpet parts. After rehearsal 6Two bars before rehearsal 63 the horns play four parts with eighth horns to provide a very large brassy sound. This continues for 9 bars. A few bars later then upper four horn parts trill and the three upper trumpets tremolo to lead into a rhythmically unison part leading into rehearsal 64. At rehearsal 64 horns 7 and 8 have switched to Bb tenor tubas and are playing with the tubas in unison. Leading into 65 horn 5 has a cantabile melody, with the upper horns playing a sustained written A.

Procession of the Sage

The horns hold long sustaining high G’s and A’s while all of the other brass are involved in more rhythmic and leaping passages. The trumpet in D is playing written C’s which are in the high register and cut-through the texture. Through this passage the tenor tubas are in unison with the bass tubas.

Dance of the Earth

The “Dance of the Earth” involves horn rips, found after rehearsal 72. The brass play punctuated chords on syncopated beats. Three before rehearsal 73 the brass have a quintuplet and triplet that are very brassy due to the high register of the instruments. At rehearsal 74 horns 6 and 8 have a triplet figure that is instructed to be play cuiverz or brassy, it is a very rapid figure and can be heard because of the brassy tone. At rehearsal 75 the triplet figure is expanded and is traded between the horns up through the end of the section. Meanwhile the trumpets have a 16th note passage, found after rehearsal 76 that is later expanded. This demonstrates the use of double tonguing by the trumpets. The remaining lower brass enter at rehearsal 78 with a six note scale found in the tubas and syncopated chords in the trumpets and trombones.