WFCC

Classical Fact

When Igor Stravinsky was a child in Russia, the most wonderful event of the year was the coming of spring. It was the Paris premiere of his work The Rite of Spring that caused the most famous riot in classical music history, on May 29, 1913. Half the audience stood and cheered; the other half screamed with disgust until they were purple in the face. The police were summoned to break up numerous fights.