Stravinsky and the Limits of Crossover Programming in Dallas
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The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s pairing of a rapper with Stravinsky is a demographic outreach effort that risks the musical substance of its center-piece. While genre juxtaposition is often marketed as "cultural relevance," it frequently obscures the rhythmic bite and internal harmonic logic of works like 'Le Sacre du printemps.' Score on IMSLP. The success of such a program rests on whether there is a genuine aesthetic affinity between the rapper's cadence and Stravinsky’s polyrhythm (the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms), or if the music is merely serving as a backdrop for celebrity.