The Bad Plus have covered everyone from Aphex Twin to Black Sabbath to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Next up: Igor Stravinsky.
On Saturday, the popular jazz trio will present the world premiere of their reinterpretation of the Russian composer’s most controversial ballet. On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring is the latest installment in Duke Performances’ series “The Sanctified,” which showcases modern artistic explorations of traditional forms—past shows this season include the SFJazz Collective and a lecture by venerable music journalist Greil Marcus.
Director of Duke Performances Aaron Greenwald said the Bad Plus’ treatment of Rite of Spring is particularly exciting because the ballet was itself rooted in tribal and Russian folk idioms.
“It’s [significant] that the Bad Plus is interested in the notion of folk music; Stravinsky was interested in that as well,” Greenwald said. “But they’re also engaged in making music of a degree of nuance and complexity.”
Stravinsky’s original ballet is hailed as one of the most influential compositions of the 20th century. Its complex, unorthodox use of dissonance and polyrhythms defied classical conventions and listener expectations—in fact, the music, along with Vaslav Nijinsky’s primal and sensuous choreography, was so radical that at its 1913 debut in Paris, the audience broke into a riot.
“I don’t think you could hear that piece and not think it was changing the world of music,” Greenwald said.
There were obvious difficulties in arranging the piece—which was written for more than 100 instruments—for a jazz trio. The group has been developing the composition for eight months, with final preparations taking place through Friday of this week. Channeling the original’s massive sound requires more than a little intensity, a task to which the Bad Plus appear equal. They are often portrayed by the media as the rock stars of the jazz world; not only do they display an uncharacteristic affinity for showmanship, but much of their repertoire consists of rock covers, such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.”
“We are willing to push things as far as we can; we’re interested in the full spectrum of music,” said Reid Anderson, the band’s bassist. “We do definitely try to give off a certain kind of performance energy.”
The show will also feature an interactive, dramatic multimedia presentation developed by New York-based architect Cristina Guadalupe and filmmaker Noah Hutton, which will function as a music video synchronized with the performance.
Saturday’s premiere will be the culmination of the Bad Plus’ multifaceted residency at Duke this academic year. In addition to composing the arrangement, which was commissioned by Duke Performances, the band have engaged in public conversations and listening sessions. They are also working with four Ph.D. students in musical composition, and the plan is to soon go into the studio and record these pieces.
“We wanted these guys to be engaged with our campus and community for a year,” Greenwald said. “It lets people know we’re an institution that is serious about supporting and developing new work.”
The performance will give listeners a chance to hear Rite of Spring as they’ve never heard it before. But don’t expect 1913.
“Hopefully [the audience] won’t riot,” Anderson said, joking. “But if they do, it’ll be because of the pleasure of what they’re hearing.”
The world premiere of The Bad Plus’ On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring will take place at 8 p.m. in Reynolds Theater on March 26. Tickets can be purchased for $34 or $26 by the general public and $5 by Duke students at the Duke Box Office or tickets.duke.edu. For more information, visit dukeperformances.duke.edu.
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