Igor Stravinsky

13.    Why does the harmony in The Rite of Spring seem so harsh at times?

One main reasons is that Stravinsky liked to make use of the technique of superimposing two chords often a half-step apart: for instance, refer to the example below: an Eb dominant 7th chord in the treble clef, with and Fb (or think E natural, if that is easier) in the bass clef. This is the famous “Rite of Spring Chord” that is heard in the Dance of the Adolescents.

A slightly more advanced (and dissonant!) example is shown below in the piano 4-hand arrangement made by the composer himself of The Rite of Spring. We see at the beginning of Part II of the score that the Seconda piano part is playing in d minor, while the Prima piano part is oscillating between Eb minor (with enharmonic spellings of the chords) and C# minor—so all THREE keys are d minor, eb minor, and c# minor: half-steps away! Very dissonant. Recording provided here as well.

14. How does Stravinsky’s use of serialism differ from Schoenberg’s use of serialism?