The Rite of Spring a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing her to propitiate the god of Spring. Such was the theme of the Sacre du Printemps". By May 1910 Stravinsky was discussing his idea with Nicholas Roerich, the foremost Russian expert on folk art and ancient rituals. Roerich had a reputation as an artist and mystic, and had provided the stage designs for Diaghilev's 1909 production of the "Polovtsian Dances". The pair quickly agreed on a working title, "The Great Sacrifice" (Russian: "Velikaia zhertva"); Diaghilev gave his blessing to the work, although the collaboration was put on hold for a
The Key to the Golden Firebird in with its quietly complex story." "This story is told in the third person, more and more unusual in YA novels, but the despair of May and her sisters is clear, even if not related in the confessional first-person narrative", Kiatt said. "Kirkus Reviews" complemented Johnson on her "literate, sophisticated style". "Kirkus Reviews" also mentioned that "her expert character development taps into the real emotions of three fully realized adolescents". The Key to the Golden Firebird The Key to the Golden Firebird is the debut novel by noted young adult author Maureen Johnson. It was first published in 2004, and