A bit late for this, but I was caught in a web of excellent Baroque music. Every first day of spring, I celebrate by listening to Stravinsky’s Ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring) written for Ballets Russes/Sergei Diaghilev in 1913. Cliché, I know, but what a cliché! I’ve listened to 103 recordings of this work, a labor of love and curiosity. I imprinted on a recording of this work performed by Antal Dorati/Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a much younger person. Here are some favorite recordings of this Spring celebratory dance work for orchestra and two transcriptions for two pianists.
Will have to scroll a bit to get to the Riccardo Chailly/Cleveland Symphony Orchestra The Rite of Spring performance.
The cover on the Marc-André Hamelin/Leif Ove Andsnes recording is based upon the original Nicholas Roerich concept design for Dhiagelev’s 1913 Ballets Russes production (below).
The country mouse Rites of Spring for the Upper Midwest, where I live, include snow shoveling (3" new snow yesterday) and cutting away fallen trees. C’est le début du Printemps.