This was a later production of "The Rite," choreographed, or so the film states, by Leonid Massine who was Nijinsky's replacement (from age 15) as lead dance and choreographer as well as lover of impressario Seregei Diaghilev. Massine was the man Stravinsky shouted to, "Listen to me, Massine," just before he stormed from the table and went to the piano and played portions of "The Rite."
Massine became one of the first half of the 20th century's most dynamic choreographers and appears as the Shoemaker in the seminal 1948 film, "The Red Shoes." Massine choreographed that character's sinister movements for the dream-sequence ballet which is one of film's greatest moments. (The ballet itself was choreographed by Robert Helpmann, who dances the "hero" in The Red Shoes Ballet.)
I'm sure the earlier poster who mentioned being such a Stravinsky fan knows that only a few weeks after the riotous premiere of "The Rite" that the work was performed again to a more appreciative audience and became an enormous hit in London shortly thereafter. By the time of the film's final moments, "The Rite" had already been accepted as "new" music.
Following choreographer Nijinsky's dismissal (he married a woman and eventually went mad...draw your own conclusions!) from Diaghilev's Ballet Russe, and with the outbreak of World War I a few years later, "The Rite" sort of went back in the closet. I believe the final sequence in this film depicts one of the revivals of the ballet in the 1920s. Massine's choreography (and, I believe, that of Nijinsky's sister, Bronislava) took the place of the lost choreography of Nijinsky, who died in an asylum in the late 1940s---- shortly before "The Red Shoes" was released.
Please excuse my verbosity. I've probably muddied up all this with "maybe's" and some inaccuracies, but I am certain that in the film that Stravinsky is working mainly on revisions to "The Rite" specifically for revival. And also several of the many, many, MANY other works he wrote besides-- including several more theatrical wonders for the Ballet Russe, including the brilliant stage piece, "L'Histoire du Soldat," (A Soldier's Tale) for three actors and wind orchestra.
The haunting piano pieces Stravinsky plays in the film are listed in the credits and the Wind Symphony is as well.
Though the OP is certainly entitled to dislike the film, for many of us who care about music, dance, art, theatre, etc., it's a moving (if slow), fascinating piece that stunningly and atmospherically recreates an era of incomparable artistic growth.... an era that. for me at least, far surpasses our own in true imagination, inspiration and accomplishment. 9/10 for me!
Thanks for reading this--- if you got this far! (Smile)
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