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A rare and remarkable cultural history of World War I that unearths the roots of modernism
Dazzling in its originality, Rites of Spring probes the origins, impact, and aftermath of World War I, from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. Recognizing that “The Great War was the psychological turning point . . . for modernism as a whole,” author Modris Eksteins examines the lives of ordinary people, works of modern literature, and pivotal historical events to redefine the way we look at our past and toward our future.
In a remarkable display of originality and discerning historical analysis, Rites of Spring describes the origins, the impact, and the aftermath of the Great War of 1914-1918, arguably the most traumatic event of this century. 16-page, black-and-white photograph insert.
"A bold and unforgetable journey into the heart of our Daemonic century." - Alfred Kazin
| Map of the Western Front | xi | |
| Preface | xiii | |
| Prologue: Venice | 1 | |
| Act 1 | ||
| I | Paris | 9 |
| Vision | 9 | |
| May 29, 1913 | 10 | |
| Le Theatre Des Champs-Elysees | 16 | |
| Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes | 21 | |
| Rebellion | 33 | |
| Confrontation and Liberation | 39 | |
| Audience | 44 | |
| Scandal as Success | 50 | |
| II | Berlin | 55 |
| Ver Sacrum | 55 | |
| Overture | 64 | |
| Technique | 70 | |
| Capital | 73 | |
| Kultur | 76 | |
| Culture and Revolt | 80 | |
| War as Culture | 90 | |
| III | In Flanders' Fields | 95 |
| A Corner of A Foreign Field | 95 | |
| Guns of August | 98 | |
| Peace on Earth | 109 | |
| The Reason Why | 115 | |
| Victorian Synthesis | 128 | |
| Is There Honey Still for Tea? | 131 | |
| Act 2 | ||
| IV | Rites of War | 139 |
| Battle Ballet | 139 | |
| Themes | 142 | |
| Transvaluation | 155 | |
| V | Reason in Madness | 170 |
| Theirs Was Not to Reason Why | 170 | |
| Duty | 176 | |
| VI | Sacred Dance | 192 |
| War God | 192 | |
| Congregation | 202 | |
| VII | Journey to the Interior | 208 |
| War as Art | 208 | |
| Art as Form | 215 | |
| Art and Morality | 223 | |
| Avant-Garde | 227 | |
| Act 3 | ||
| VIII | Night Dancer | 241 |
| The New Christ | 242 | |
| Star | 247 | |
| Lest We Forget | 252 | |
| Itinerary and Symbol | 261 | |
| New Worlds and Old | 267 | |
| Associations | 271 | |
| IX | Memory | 275 |
| War Boom | 275 | |
| Life of Death | 277 | |
| Fame | 285 | |
| Cloud Juggler | 298 | |
| X | Spring Without End | 300 |
| Germany, Awake! | 300 | |
| Victim Hero | 305 | |
| Art as Life | 311 | |
| Myth as Reality | 315 | |
| "Es Ist Ein Fruhling Ohne Ende!" | 325 | |
| Acknowledgments | 335 | |
| Notes | 337 | |
| Selected Sources | 367 | |
| Index | 371 |
Anonymous
Posted June 8, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
A rare and remarkable cultural history of World War I that unearths the roots of modernism
Dazzling in its originality, Rites of Spring probes the origins, impact, and aftermath of World War I, from the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 to the death of Hitler in 1945. Recognizing that “The Great War was the psychological turning point . . . for modernism as a whole,” author Modris Eksteins examines the lives of ordinary people, works of modern ...