The ballet that incited a riot - Iseult Gillespie

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: H_L Au

We typically think of ballet as harmonious, graceful and polished–

我們通常認為芭蕾是和諧的、 典雅的、優美的——

hardly features that would trigger a riot.

不太可能會引起暴動。

But at the first performance of Igor Stravinsky’s "The Rite of Spring,"

但在伊果·史特拉汶斯基的 《春之祭》首次演出時，

audience members were so outraged that they drowned out the orchestra.

觀眾極為憤慨 聲音壓過了管弦樂團。

Accounts of the event include people hurling objects at the stage,

對該事件的記述包括： 有人向舞台上丟東西，

challenging each other to fights, and getting arrested–

彼此挑釁幹架、被逮捕——

all on what started as a sophisticated night at the ballet.

發生這一切的那個夜晚， 本來是個精緻的芭蕾之夜。

First performed in May 1913

最早於 1913 年五月

at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris,

在巴黎的香榭麗舍劇院演出，

"The Rite of Spring" is set in prehistoric times.

《春之祭》的背景是史前時代。

The narrative follows an ancient Pagan community

故事講的是一個古老的異教團體，

worshipping the Earth and preparing for the sacrifice of a woman

他們膜拜地球， 準備要用一名女子獻祭，

intended to bring about the change of seasons.

希望能改變四季變化。

But the ballet is much more concerned with the violent relationship

但這支芭蕾舞作的重點在於人類、

between humans, nature, and culture

大自然，和文化之間的暴力關係，

than with character or plot.

而不是角色或情節。

These themes manifest in a truly upsetting production

這部很讓人心煩意亂的作品 將這些主題表現出來，

which combines harsh music, jerky dancing, and uncanny staging.

該作品結合了刺耳的音樂、

急動的舞步，及怪異的舞台佈置。

It opens with dancers awakening to a solo bassoon,

開場時，舞者在巴松笛獨奏中醒來，

playing in an eerily high register.

獨奏用的是怪異恐怖的高音域。

This gives way to discordant strings, punctured by unexpected pauses

接著帶出了很不協調的弦樂， 穿插著未預期的停頓，

while the dancers twitch to the music.

同時舞者隨著音樂抽搐。

These frightening figures enact the ballet’s brutal premise,

這些嚇人的身影帶出了 該芭蕾舞作的粗暴前提假設，

which set audiences on edge

讓觀眾緊張不安，

and shattered the conventions of classical music.

並撼動了古典音樂的慣例。

In these ways and many more,

《春之祭》以這些方式 及許多其他方式

"The Rite of Spring" challenged the orchestral traditions

挑戰十九世紀的交響樂傳統。

of the 19th century.

Composed on the cusp of both the first World War

創作的時間點是在第一次 世界大戰和俄國革命的關口，

and the Russian revolution,

"The Rite of Spring" seethes with urgency.

《春之祭》迫切地翻騰著。

This tension is reflected in various formal experiments,

在多部先前的實驗作品當中 都有這種緊繃感，

including innovative uses of syncopation, or irregular rhythm;

包括創新使用切分法和不規則節奏，

atonality or the lack of a single key,

無調性或者缺乏單一音調，

and the presence of multiple time signatures.

以及使用多種時間記號。

Alongside these strikingly modern features,

除了這些非常現代的特徵之外，

Stravinsky spliced in aspects of Russian folk music–

史特拉汶斯基還結合了 俄國民俗音樂的面向——

a combination that deliberately disrupted

這種組合的目的是要刻意破壞

the expectations of his sophisticated, urban audience.

經驗豐富的都市觀眾的期望。

This wasn’t Stravinsky’s first use of folk music.

這並不是史特拉汶斯基 第一次使用民俗音樂。

Born in a small town outside of St. Petersburg in 1882,

史特拉汶斯基於 1882 年 在聖彼得堡外的一個小鎮上出生，

Stravinsky’s reputation was cemented with the lush ballet "The Firebird."

他的華麗芭蕾舞作 《火鳥》鞏固了他的名聲。

Based on a Russian fairytale,

這部作品以俄國童話故事為基礎，

this production was steeped in Stravinsky’s fascination

內容充滿了史特拉汶斯基 對於民俗文化的著迷。

with folk culture.

But he plotted a wilder project in "The Rite of Spring,"

但他在《春之祭》中 策劃了更狂野的計畫，

pushing folk and musical boundaries to draw out the rawness of pagan ritual.

挑戰民俗和音樂的界線， 赤裸裸呈現異教的儀式。

Stravinsky brought this reverie to life

史特拉汶斯基和藝術家 尼古拉斯·洛里奇合作，

in collaboration with artist Nicholas Roerich.

讓這個幻想成真。

Roerich was obsessed with prehistoric times.

洛里奇很迷戀有文字 記載之前的時代。

He had published essays about human sacrifice

他發表過一些關於 活人獻祭的文章，

and worked on excavations of Slavic tombs

也投入斯拉夫墳墓的挖掘，

in addition to set and costume design.

此外，他還做佈景和服裝設計。

For "The Rite of Spring," he drew from Russian medieval art

他參考俄國的中世紀藝術 及農夫衣著，為《春之祭》

and peasant garments to create costumes that hung awkwardly

創造出醜陋地掛在 舞者身體上的服裝。

on the dancers’ bodies.

Roerich set them against vivid backdrops of primeval nature;

洛里奇再將它們搭配 生動的原始自然背景；

full of jagged rocks, looming trees and nightmarish colors.

滿是巉岩、若隱若現的樹木， 以及惡夢般的顏色。

Along with its dazzling sets and searing score,

配上眩目的佈景和刺耳的配樂，

the original choreography for "The Rite of Spring"

《春之祭》的原始編舞

was highly provocative.

非常具有挑撥性。

This was the doing of legendary dancer Vaslav Nijinsky,

這是傳奇舞者 瓦斯拉夫·尼金斯基的傑作，

who developed dances to rethink “the roots of movement itself.”

他開發出讓人重新思考 「動作根本」的舞蹈。

Although Stravinsky later expressed frustration

雖然史特拉汶斯基後來 表示他感到很挫折，

with Nijinsky’s demanding rehearsals

因為尼金斯基對排演很苛求， 又對音樂一味做詮釋，

and single-minded interpretations of the music,

his choreography proved as pioneering as Stravinsky’s composition.

但他的編舞被證明

和史特拉汶斯基的作曲 同等具有開創性。

He contorted traditional ballet–

他扭曲了傳統芭蕾——

to both the awe and horror of his audience,

讓他的觀眾感到敬畏又恐懼，

many of whom expected the refinement and romance of the genre.

許多觀眾期望在這類作品中 看到的是優雅和浪漫。

The dancing in "The Rite of Spring" is agitated and uneven,

《春之祭》中的舞很激動、不規則，

with performers cowering, writhing and leaping about as if possessed.

表演者像是中邪了一樣 蜷縮、扭動、跳來跳去。

Often, the dancers are not one with the music

通常，舞者和音樂並沒有融為一體，

but rather seem to struggle against it.

反而像是掙扎著想要對抗音樂。

Nijinsky instructed them to turn their toes inwards

尼金斯基指示他們 要把腳趾轉向內，

and land heavily after jumps, often off the beat.

跳躍之後要重重落地， 通常還不在節拍上。

For the final, frenzied scene,

在很瘋狂的最後一景中，

a woman dances herself to death to loud bangs and jarring strings.

一名女子在巨響和刺耳的 弦樂聲中獨舞至死。

The ballet ends abruptly on a harsh, haunting chord.

這部芭蕾舞作在刺耳惱人的 和弦中很突兀地結束。

Today, "The Rite of Spring"

現今，《春之祭》仍然和它那 爭議的初次演出一樣讓人寒心，

remains as chilling as its controversial debut,

but the shockwaves of the original work continue to resound and inspire.

但原作的震波仍然持續 回響著，鼓舞人心。

You can hear Stravinsky’s influence in modern jazz’s dueling rhythms,

受到史特拉汶斯基影響的包括

現代爵士的決鬥式節奏、 民間古典樂，

folky classical music, and even film scores for horror movies,

甚至恐怖片的電影配樂，

which still illicit a riotous audience response.

仍然會造成觀眾的騷亂反應。