# The Rite of Spring
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [August 21, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875 "2004-08-21T19:20:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nancyflute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nancyflute)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/1 "2004-08-21T19:20:41Z")
I just read Cecil’s excellent column, Did avant-garde arts events of a century ago really inspire riots?
[http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mriots.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mriots.html)
I met and talked with Igor Stravinsky in his latter years, and he loved to tell that story!
As for musicians making up words to “keep the count,” they were probably of the Old School, which had never had to deal with multiple, quickly changing meters and amazingly dissonant harmonic clashes.
Every time I’ve played that piece, the orchestra_loves_ it! I have had every hair on my body stand on end. (Darn! I just shaved my legs!)
It is astonishing to think of Paris at that time. Cooperation between all of the arts was fantastic. Much credit goes to Diaghilev, founder of Ballets Russes. He would be inspired by a poet’s work (say, Mallarmé), talk a musician into writing music for it (Debussy), and an artist such as Matisse to paint the scenery! Wow!
I wish there really were such a thing as a time travel machine!
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/2 "2004-08-21T20:14:11Z")
An additional comment to an otherwise-excellent mailbag article:
> [@](#):
>
> He was standing on a chair, screaming ‘sixteen, seventeen, eighteen’–they had their own method of counting to keep time.
He was actually screaming the Russian version of these numbers…all of which are three or four syllables, making it even more problematic.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/3 "2004-08-21T21:14:41Z")
In 1989-1990 I worked in a record store which catered mainly to classical music listeners. Hence we were only _supposed_ to play classical music in the store (although when the owner wasn’t around we lived dangerously with jazz and folk sometimes… but I’m digressing…)
Anyway, I’m a _big_ fan of The Rite of Spring and used to play it a lot in the store. One day I put it on and a few minutes later a guy - mid 40s, I’d guess, wearing a business suit - walks by and says huffily “I can’t believe you’re playing this!” and storms out the door.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry …
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/4 "2004-08-21T21:31:36Z")
> [@ruadh](#):
>
> Anyway, I’m a big fan of The Rite of Spring and used to play it a lot in the store. One day I put it on and a few minutes later a guy - mid 40s, I’d guess, wearing a business suit - walks by and says huffily “I can’t believe you’re playing this!” and storms out the door.
Strange man…I wonder what he was expecting you to play?! Even my mum likes the Rite (and can even identify it when it’s on the radio, about the only piece she can do that with). I just wish I could get a chance to play in it…I can’t get enough of Stravinsky’s violin writing.
> [@](#):
>
> In 1989-1990 I worked in a record store which catered mainly to classical music listeners. Hence we were only _supposed_ to play classical music in the store (although when the owner wasn’t around we lived dangerously with jazz and folk sometimes… but I’m digressing…)
An anecdote for **Ruadh** 😃 :…In one of the dreadful tourist shops on O’Connell St., I noticed a sign behind the counter, saying “The stereo must play ceidlidh music at all times. Disobeying this is a disciplinary offence.” Must have been a fun place to work. (Naturally, they’d chosen the worst oom-pah ceidlidh stuff possible)
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/5 "2004-08-22T00:33:47Z")
Just as a note, this was a Staff Report by **Ian** , not a Column by Cecil. Consequently, I’m moving this to the appropriate forum.
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### Author:  [@dangermouse1956](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermouse1956)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/6 "2004-08-28T15:38:58Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> An anecdote for **Ruadh** 😃 :…In one of the dreadful tourist shops on O’Connell St., I noticed a sign behind the counter, saying “The stereo must play ceidlidh music at all times. Disobeying this is a disciplinary offence.” Must have been a fun place to work. (Naturally, they’d chosen the worst oom-pah ceidlidh stuff possible)
I just googled “ceidlidh.” It’s one of the few things I’ve searched for that returned only four pages of results.
Why? Oh–I dunno–this just happens so infrequently that it fascinates me when it does happen.
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### Author:  [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/7 "2004-08-28T16:26:11Z")
Because it’s misspelled 🙂
Try _ceilidh_ or _céilí_.
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### Author:  [@dangermouse1956](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermouse1956)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rite-of-spring/260875/8 "2004-08-28T21:42:34Z")
> [@ruadh](#):
>
> Because it’s misspelled 🙂
>
> Try _ceilidh_ or _céilí_.
:smack: Some things I’ll never learn…like, when one gets less than, oh, a gazillion pages of hits, one either has a terribly arcane word or one has just found all the _putzes_ who misspelled the word the same way. Sheesh.
Thanks for the correction.