In this week’s episode of Crescendo, celebrated writer Witi Ihimaera (Te Whānau-a- Kai) describes how hearing The Rite of Spring, by Stravinsky, changed his understanding of what classical music could be.
"I mean, whoever heard Stravinsky in Gisborne at the age of 16? How was [Stravinsky] to know that a schoolboy in 1959 would even listen to this music that he had recorded in Europe, and in Aotearoa, New Zealand it would have this huge impact? I mean, I died and went to heaven when I first heard it, and every time I hear it, my bones are still recovering."
Photo: Steven A'Court / WORD Christchurch
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“The Rite of Spring” is considered to be a challenging, avant-garde piece of music- famously, the crowd rioted when it was first performed in Paris in 1913. But Witi Ihimaera was able to connect Stravinsky’s vision with his own culture in Aotearoa.
“The thing about it was that it just reminded me so totally of my own people, Rongopai," he said, "The music was so savage and barbaric. I kept on thinking of our experiences during the New Zealand Wars. Rongopai is my meeting house. And it was the closest description in music I could find to our experiences in war, so whenever I go back there… the music I hear in my head is Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.”
The Rite Of Spring also provided Witi Ihimaera with a connection to the wider world. The recording he listened to was conducted by the famous Ukrainian composer Igor Markevitch.
“And ever since I've kind of been a fanboy for Igor Markevitch’s conducting.”
NZSO double bass player Alexander Gunchenko is also from Ukraine. For him, the music of Stravinsky, though challenging, is richly rewarding to play.
“In terms of technical abilities and professionalism as a user of the tools of the orchestra, he's up there. The way he could combine different instruments to create unique sounds, that you know, when you listen to the first time you just say, 'What's that?' It's like, what happened? Who did this? You don't expect the sounds that come out of the orchestra. But he just heard it, he heard it in his head.”
NZSO double bass player Alexander Gunchenko Photo: Black Label NZ
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Crescendo is voiced by RNZ Concert’s Clarissa Dunn with sound mix by Marc Chesterman. It was written and produced by Noelle McCarthy from an original concept by Bird of Paradise.
Photo: Bird Of Paradise Productions