Rite: ON! ROS: Episode 1

And so it begins ...

A century ago on this day, The Rite of Spring received its infamously riotous premiere in Paris. As a tribute to this milestone in musical history, we present the opening installment of our Rite of Spring video project:

Igor Stravinsky's groundbreaking, timeless composition has compelled us to push ourselves to the hilt and to challenge the parameters of our filmmaking abilities. One of our favorite pieces to perform, the Rite has proven to provide fascinating fodder for a music video (albeit a very lengthy one!): the literal and symbolic connotations of spring and rites of passage -- the resurgence of the earth in all its elemental glory; the poignancy of discovery; the loss of innocence; the heated intensity, even eroticism, of primal urges; the shedding of layers, physical and metaphorical; etc., etc. -- are full of rich cinematic possibility, and we've let our imaginations run wild in an effort to capture the searing vision of this masterwork.

{Future episodes of this 10-part, 35-minute film will be released on YouTube, every other Wednesday throughout the summer. The next episode will air on June 12, 2013.}

Trailer Released for 'Rite of Spring'

We are beyond excited to present the trailer for our latest music film--a reimagining of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." We'll be releasing the video in segments beginning on May 29th, the 100th anniversary of the first public performance. This project has literally involved blood (Greg's), sweat (both) and tears (the film crew's). So, without further ado...

Anderson & Roe, Music Editors?

We've entered the daunting world of music editing. After so many years of frustration with various music editors – "is that a dot or a dash?" "did the composer really write forte here?" – we're not sure what we were thinking, but we've given it our best shot! We're proud to present our edition of the Mozart/Busoni Duettino Concertante. We've filled the score of this deceptively challenging (but awesome) work with numerous tips and tricks to enhance playability, and we even added a jumbo-sized foreward of pertinant historical information.

You can purchase the score by clicking the image below or visiting your favorite sheet music store.

The Reynaldo Hahn

Inspired by the melodious, slightly spicy, and ever-joyous musical works of the French composer (and critic!) Reynaldo Hahn, I crafted this perky drink. Not familiar with Reynaldo Hahn? This quote of his says it all:

Look, the way to live is to bring all the enthusiasm you can muster to everything: studying, talking, eating, everything.

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The Reynaldo Hahn

  • 2 ounces of ginger-infused vodka (see recipe below)
  • 1 ounce of lime juice
  • Ginger Ale

Add the ginger-infused vodka and lime juice to a highball glass. Top with ginger ale and two cubes of ice. 

Ginger-infused vodka: Add eight ounces of crystilized ginger to a liter of vodka. Steep overnight.

The drink is similar to a Moscow Mule, but a bit sweeter. There isn't much science to the drink. Add more ginger to the infusion if you want more of the ginger kick. If you like things really strong, replace the ginger ale with ginger beer. The ginger-infused vodka goes great in other drinks as well -- try it in a cosmo!

While sipping, enjoy this bubbly movement from Hahn's piano concerto: