As if often the case in the world of the arts and humanities, each finds inspiration from the other. So it is not surprising to find works of art that have inspired musical compositions, or for music of some kind to inspire an artist to paint. When two masters, each respected in his own field, are connected by this kind of creative communication, some kind of new work emerges that is almost always interesting.
In 1959, composer Gunther Schuller composed a work for orchestra that was inspired by the paintings of Klee. His published work included a dedication to conductor Antal Dorati, and remarks by the artist himself. There are seven sections, each using the name of a painting by Paul.
There are descriptions provided by Gunther to explain his reasons for choosing the pieces he selected. He wanted to use both the compositional elements of each painting and the mood or feeling he believed it evoked in the viewer. Each note that he wrote gives profound, and in some cases humorous, reflections on his own thought process.
Other composers have written music based on artwork by Paul. But those by Schuller are historically important because of the way that he merged jazz and classical music. He is famous for naming and supporting what he called third stream compositions. His work to blend the styles resulted from a love for both. The painting Little Blue Devil reminded Schuller of blues and jazz, so that section of his work uses those genres.
Bringing the interaction of the fine arts full circle, is the often described love for music that Paul had himself. He studied music with his parents beginning at a young age. His musical studies and love for it remained with him as long as he lived.
Paul had consuming interest in using the vocabulary of musical concepts within his art. The two disciplines share terms with similar meanings. His love for music was expressed in drawings and paintings using language musicians and artists share. One example is the word, line. Every artist knows how different kinds of lines show different emotions. In a similar way, musicians speak of the melody as a line. The general idea that unites them, is that a line starts at one point and ends at another point.
The seven paintings that uniquely inspired Schuller's compositions display a wide array of colors, shapes and lines. These artistic vocabulary words are common to both music and art. There is no doubt that this was completely understood by the artist. What is quite fascinating is that the composer could see these elements in the art, whether it be in a conscious way or not, and use them as springboards to create completely original music.
Ultimately, the works of both men are expressions of unity in thought. The discussions resulting from the links created by their works has been an intellectual feast, and most likely will continue for some time.
In 1959, composer Gunther Schuller composed a work for orchestra that was inspired by the paintings of Klee. His published work included a dedication to conductor Antal Dorati, and remarks by the artist himself. There are seven sections, each using the name of a painting by Paul.
There are descriptions provided by Gunther to explain his reasons for choosing the pieces he selected. He wanted to use both the compositional elements of each painting and the mood or feeling he believed it evoked in the viewer. Each note that he wrote gives profound, and in some cases humorous, reflections on his own thought process.
Other composers have written music based on artwork by Paul. But those by Schuller are historically important because of the way that he merged jazz and classical music. He is famous for naming and supporting what he called third stream compositions. His work to blend the styles resulted from a love for both. The painting Little Blue Devil reminded Schuller of blues and jazz, so that section of his work uses those genres.
Bringing the interaction of the fine arts full circle, is the often described love for music that Paul had himself. He studied music with his parents beginning at a young age. His musical studies and love for it remained with him as long as he lived.
Paul had consuming interest in using the vocabulary of musical concepts within his art. The two disciplines share terms with similar meanings. His love for music was expressed in drawings and paintings using language musicians and artists share. One example is the word, line. Every artist knows how different kinds of lines show different emotions. In a similar way, musicians speak of the melody as a line. The general idea that unites them, is that a line starts at one point and ends at another point.
The seven paintings that uniquely inspired Schuller's compositions display a wide array of colors, shapes and lines. These artistic vocabulary words are common to both music and art. There is no doubt that this was completely understood by the artist. What is quite fascinating is that the composer could see these elements in the art, whether it be in a conscious way or not, and use them as springboards to create completely original music.
Ultimately, the works of both men are expressions of unity in thought. The discussions resulting from the links created by their works has been an intellectual feast, and most likely will continue for some time.
About the Author:
Read more about Discover How The Artistry Of Paul Klee Inspired The Music Of Gunther Schuller.
No comments:
Post a Comment