The Rite of Spring is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company, with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and stage designs and costumes (pictured) by Nicholas Roerich. The ballet caused a near-riot in the audience when first performed, on 29 May 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, but rapidly achieved success, and later became recognised as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century. The score has many novel features, including experiments in tonality, metre, rhythm, stress and dissonance. The scenario is the celebration of spring by various primitive rituals, at the end of which a sacrificial victim dances herself to death. After its explosive premiere the ballet was not performed until the 1920s, when Léonide Massine's rechoreographed version was the first of many innovative productions directed by the world's leading choreographers. Providing "endless stimulation for performers and listeners" alike, The Rite is among the most recorded works in the classical repertoire.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1808:

John Jacob Astor founded the American Fur Company, the profits from which made him the first multi-millionaire in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor

1896:

The first modern Olympic Games (cover of official report shown) opened in Athens, with athletes from 14 nations participating in 43 events. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics

1941:

World War II: German forces invaded Greece, beginning Operation Marita. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Greece

2009:

Mass protests began across Moldova against the results of the parliamentary election. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2009_Moldovan_parliamentary_election_protests

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

wieldy: 1. (obsolete except Britain, dialectal) Able to wield one's body well; active, dexterous. 2. Capable of being easily wielded or managed; handy. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wieldy

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

This habit of forming opinions, and acting upon them without evidence, is one of the most immoral habits of the mind. ... As our opinions are the fathers of our actions, to be indifferent about the evidence of our opinions is to be indifferent about the consequences of our actions. But the consequences of our actions are the good and evil of our fellow-creatures. The habit of the neglect of evidence, therefore, is the habit of disregarding the good and evil of our fellow- creatures.   --James Mill https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_Mill