I heard he punched him in the nuts.
--- On Wed, 9/22/10, Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote:
From: Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>
Subject: OT Le Sacre Du Printemp's violent debut
To: "LOOPERS DELIGHT (posting)" <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 6:54 AM
Rainer said that Stravinsky punched Debussy during
the debut of 'Le Sacre Du Printemp' in Paris.
I had always understood that both Ravel and Debussy were enthralled with the piece
and have never heard that Stravinsky punched Debussy.
I just found this description of those events on Classical.Net
in an article called "Stravinsky's Le Sacre at 90:
/
"Le Sacre's première took place at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on May 29, 1913. It is arguably the most famous debacle in western artistic history. Audience members found the quiet, yet active, introduction ridiculous. When the curtain rose and Nijinsky's dances began, the auditorium went into a rage, their sophistication insulted. *Ravel and Debussy were both present and captivated by the music, but it was soon drowned out in the fracas. Debris was thrown, as well as punches. *The work was performed in full, but only with the help of Nijinsky
calling steps from atop an offstage chair. /
/Stravinsky had a breakdown after the première and spent weeks at a sanatorium in Neuilly to recover from typhoid fever........"
/
I'm just wondering where you read about Stravinsky punching Debussy, Rainer.
Curious, not contentious in that query, my friend.
You have a vast knowledge of classical music that I respect.
yours, Rick Walker
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