“Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity.”
Modest Mussorgsky
As philosopher Richard Wollheim says, art is “one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.” In its simplest manifestation, art is a form of communication that serves as a vehicle for the expression of emotions and ideas. As ideas and beliefs are culturally specific and constantly changing over time, there really is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art. That being said, the classical branches of the visual arts are identified as painting, sculpture and architecture. Literature and poetry are considered part of the humanities or as one of the arts, while music, alongside theatre, film and dance belong to the performing arts. In this section you will discover not only specific explorations of individual art forms, but also a more detailed probing of the relationship between the visual arts and music, including painting and music, sculpture and music and architecture and music. Originally, poetry and music were treated as a unity, but gradually they have become more independent. Nevertheless, the two art forms have never forgotten their shared genetic makeup, and been intertwined for millennia. Art and music have engaged in a dynamic relationship that reveals a diverse range of human activity intended to be appreciated for their beauty.
In the 19th century, Paris was one of the most important music capitals of Europe. Richard Wagner, during his ‘Wanderjahre’ (years of wandering from Riga to London, Dresden and Zűrich – mainly to escape his various creditors), attempted several times
Dresden, with its well-known Sächsische Staatskapelle, Kreuzchor and Semper Opera House, cannot only be considered one of the great ‘musical’ cities in Germany, but most importantly, its cultural and political milieu played a significant role in the musical and artistic
Fin-de Siècle Vienna’s ‘Second Generation’ Art and Music In his opus, ‘Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften’ (The Man without Qualities) the Austrian writer Robert Musil, considered by many the Marcel Proust of Fin-de-Siècle Vienna, stated that Austria’s intellectuals, artists and writers
Gustav Klimt started his career as architectural decorator just as the Ringstrasse program of monumental building entered its final phase – in fact, he had been hired to decorate the interior staircase of the Fine Arts Museum. He subsequently became
Brahms Fest und Gedenkspruche, Op. 109 Strauss II Die Fledermaus (excerpts) Schoenberg Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4 (version for string orchestra) Emperor Franz Josef I came to power after the revolution of 1848 – a time which saw the
Ravel’s composition ‘La Valse’, written at the close of World War I, can be seen as a parable of the violent death of 19th century Vienna – with “the waltz, long a symbol of gay Vienna, becoming in the composer’s
Frederic Rzewski “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” (1975) Stephen Drury, piano J. S. Bach Goldberg Variations BWV988 (1741) Glenn Gould, piano (1955) Beethoven 33 Variations in C major on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120, “Diabelli Variations” (1819)
La Mer (1890) Philadelphia Orchestra Riccardo Muti Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1894) London Symphony Orchestra André Previn Stéphane Mallarmé L’après-midi d’un faune (1867) Original in French English translation My encounter with Claude Debussy began with his 24 preludes. I
