Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring)

Pagan Russia in ancient times. How can the apparently sheer eternal torment of winter wilderness be overcome? Only by sacrificing the symbol of germinating life: a young girl. Archaic, primitive, barbarian. Such was history and such therefore should be the music of Igor Stravinsky’s "Le Sacre du Printemps". Its premiere in Paris in 1913 triggered one of the most famous art scandals of the 20th century. The piece "has got the best dissonances anyone ever thought up, and the best asymmetries and polytonalities and polyrhythms and whatever else you care to name", Leonard Bernstein once said about "Sacre" – the narrow boundaries not only of late Romantic music but also of classical ballet were thus extended once and for all. Now, the interdisciplinary artist Klaus Obermaier, supported by the Ars Electronica Futurelab, enters the 21st century with "Sacre". He has developed a 3D visualisation using cameras to project the live dancer Julia Mach into a virtual three-dimensional space, with the music directly influencing the virtual presence of the performer and her avatars thus creating a kind of meta-choreography. A breathtaking evening is guaranteed – especially with the support of the Lower Austria Tonkünstler orchestra under the baton of its chief conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

Introductory talk with Walter Weidringer, 18:30 h, Main Hall

Programme Maurice Ravel: Alborada del gracioso. Igor Strawinski: Le Sacre du Printemps

Tonkünstler-Orchestra Niederösterreich. Conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Concept, artistic direction and choreography Klaus Obermaier. Dance Julia Mach. Interactive Design and Technical Development Ars Electronica Futurelab

Following the performance, Café Publik: Artist's talk with those involved in the performance

Education: Project mornings / Workshops & concert for children aged 10 to 15: Application and information

EUR 35 / 32 / 27 / 20 / 10