Igor Stravinsky was known to be one of the last “high-art” composers  to receive such worldwide recognition during his lifetime, and the piece he is most known for today is The Rite of Spring (1913).  Stravinsky, as well as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Debussy, Ravel, and others introduced us to what we call the era of Modernism. Craigs definition of Modernism was simply “a movement in the arts between  1900 and 2000 that promoted a bracing, progressive style antithetical to the traditional values of Romanticism”. Basically they were just braking rules that were often seen in the romantic style, again dismantling the norms of music and art to suit their new desires.

The controversy of the premiere for The Rite of Spring was thought to be due to the modernistic approach, and thats true in a sense. The new “heavy metal” percussive orchestra,  irregular accentuation, polyrhythm, polymeter, dissonant polychords, and excessive multiple ostinatos definitely threw off the audience, and were just heard as horrible, displeasing sounds: so the traditionalist, conservative supporters shouted their outrage once hearing this new work. But it was believed that some of the audience were anti-russian, anti-Diaghilev, and anti-Nijisky factions at work in Paris,  and they were determined to disrupt the performance before the music even started. Others joined in once hearing the “unbearable” music, riot broke out, people fought and people were arrested.

Another situation like this happened at Carnegie Hall in 1973, when the Boston Symphony Orchestra played the standard fare by Mozart and Liszt, and also Steve Reich’s minimalist classic Four Organs. The audience, just like at Stravinsky’s premiere of The Rite of Spring, “expected elegant, gorgeously upholstered traditional music, but instead received [modernized], amplified rock organ music.” said Micheal, one of the other organists. So this shocking shift in style, and also repetitive music outraged the audience, and at one point Micheal had to forcefully mouth which measure they were on so they could continue the music. Also don’t forget, these organists” could scarcely hear [them]selves playing ” said Micheal, and the organs were amplified.  Somehow they got through the piece and at the end there was a moment of silence, followed by an avalanche of noise booing and congratulating these men on their performance. Micheal told Steve Reich, since he was also playing that this was a moment in history to be remembered, and just like Stravinsky, due to the outrage and commotion this piece caused, it came to benefit Steves popularity and recognition as a composer.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/other/article/video-of-the-day-reich-sparks-a-riot-at-carnegie-hall