Final answer:
The Rite of Spring opens with a distinctive bassoon melody, contrasting with Debussy's flute in Prélude à L’après-midi d’un faune. Stravinsky's piece evolves from a woodwind-dominated texture to include an assertive brass and percussion presence, with rhythmic complexities and varying pulses throughout.
Step-by-step explanation:
The opening instrument in Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) is a bassoon, playing in a very high register which gives it an unusual timbre, sounding almost like an ethnic folk instrument. This is in contrast to the flute in the opening of Debussy's Prélude à L’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun), which plays a sinuous and languid melody that is characteristic of Debussy's impressionist style, projecting a calm and dreamy atmosphere.
In the opening section of The Rite of Spring, the woodwind instruments are prevalently featured, with strings joining in later as the texture builds up. A definite change in mood can be felt when there is a sudden increase in dynamics and the introduction of rhythmic complexity, leading to the more aggressive and intense strains of the piece. This shift introduces us to Stravinsky's innovative use of rhythm and dissonance to evoke the primitive and pagan energy the ballet portrays.
While Stravinsky does indeed provide a pulse to the music, it is not consistent; the time signatures change frequently, complicating the rhythmic pattern and creating an unpredictable and unsettling effect. By the end of the introduction, the brass and percussion sections become more prominent, adding a strong, dynamic force to the music, distinguishing it further from the more delicate woodwind opening.