Le Sacre du Printemps

Stravinsky’s ballet Le sacre du printemps (The rite of spring) and the flamenco: both are typified by tight and complex rhythms. Flamenco innovator Israel Galván brings flamenco and Stravinsky together when he treads in the footsteps of Vaslav Nijinski, the legendary dancer who first choreographed the Rite. Nijinki’s famous choreography caused a scandal at the piece’s premier in 1913, and Galván similarly challenges the established order with his radical innovations to flamenco. ‘I change the environment on stage into an arena from the very first beat’, Galván says in an interview with De Volkskrant. ‘I am the torero; I see the pianists behind their grand pianos as bulls, and Stravinsky’s music is the red cloth. During those 34 minutes, I will taunt and tantalize them with my flamenco steps, wear them down and clack, clack, clack, subdue them.’

Le sacre du printemps, one of the most groundbreaking works of the 20^th century, is performed here in the version for two pianos. Israel Galván and pianists Gerard Bouwhuis and Daria van den Bercken have formed a friendship in the wake of their performance at the Flamenco Biennial 2021. They are now performing together throughout Europe with various projects.