No One Saw It Coming The ballet that caused a riot and changed music
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Jan 12, 2026 
Andrew Ford, a composer and presenter on ABC Radio National's The Music Show, dives into the riotous premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in 1913. He reveals how Diaghilev's ambitious Ballets Russes stirred the pot of Parisian art with provocative choreography that shocked audiences. Ford recounts the chaotic violence in the theater and the innovative musical elements that reshaped modern composition. Discover how Stravinsky's work, once a scandal, transformed into a monumental success and continues to captivate today.
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Premiere Vision And Audience Mix
- The Ballets Russes premiered The Rite of Spring in Paris to elite and bohemian crowds who paid high prices and expected spectacle.
- Stravinsky conceived the ballet from a vision of pagan ritual featuring a sacrificial virgin who dances herself to death.
Disorienting Opening Timbre
- The opening bassoon solo sounded unfamiliar because it placed a high melody on a low, reedy instrument in isolation.
- That single unexpected timbre primed the audience to feel disoriented before the dancers even appeared.
Provocative Choreography Shocked Audiences
- Nijinsky's choreography showed dancers flat-footed, turned-in and knock-kneed instead of classical en pointe technique.
- The raw, aggressive stomping visibly shocked wealthy audience members who felt mocked by the performance.