Something to take notice of...

For some reason, I like to return time and time again to certain composers and their works. I will obsessively listen to recordings and find new ones adding multiple versions to my iTunes library. As is often the case, the composer might have been one that influenced me during my early years of composition. In returning to their works, maybe years later, I am a different ear. I am a different person and experience it anew. 

Shostakovich is very dear to me, yet very time consuming and exhausting. His work is very heavy and delicately complex. I was obsessed with him during the early part of my bachelor's but soon began to branch out to more "kind" waters in the years following. I have grown into his symphonies, memorizing every single beat, and every single recording I own. New ones have recently walked into my library causing a "do-over" effect. It is essentially a rediscovery of his works, through new interpretations. I like to find that those recordings I held a grudge with are actually rare gems. 

Yakov Kreizberg's 2006 recording of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony with the Russian National Orchestra started me back on the "Shosty-drug." It is paired (as always) with the 9th Symphony and is presented in SACD format (both Stereo and Multi-Channel). The reviews that I read praised the quality of the SACD technique as well as the orchestra's playing. The interpretation was a little vague in the last movement, but I found it refreshing. It was funny to note that ALL of the reviews complained about the epic tam-tam stroke that seemed to be missing from the recording. The score indicates "fff" for the tam-tam, however, in this particular recording you barely hear a shimmer of its overtones. That percussive whack is so famous (as well infamous) in performance that I find it hard to believe that Kreizberg let the poor chap get away with such weakness. The CD was recorded in a studio in Moscow, which is more like a banquet hall. This lends a tremendous amount of space to the sound as well as a contradictory intimacy. The effects of which need to be experienced to believe. 

This led me further into one of his most famous symphonies. I acquired a used copy of Semyon Bychkov and the Berliner Philharmoniker's 1986 performance of the same symphony. May I just say that this one has blown my old favorites out of the water. The energy is so intense that I needed a moment alone after the first listen. The strings are as powerful as they ever were with Karajan. However, the brass and percussion were allowed to become raw walls of terrorizing sound; something Karajan would never let them get away with. Bychkov adds, at times, blossoming crescendos in brass and string lines that mimic that of the percussion. The pain and tragedy is juxtaposed against the terror and desperation better than any recording I have heard to date.

Bernstein's 1959 recording with NY Philharmonic was the chosen standard for energetic performance. Even with NY's problems (which are still there) it was a great version to have. Here with Berlin's impeccable performance standards I can rediscover this magnificent 20th century symphonic offering. You would be missing out greatly if this recording remains looked over. 

Recordings mentioned & suggested:

Dmitri Shostakovich: 

Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 47

1. Yakov Kreizberg w/ Russian National Orchestra (2006)

Pentatone Classics - Hybrid Multichannel SACH (approx. $20 US)

2. Semyon Bychkov w/ Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1986)

Philips Masterworks Label - ($17 US)

3. Leonard Bernstein w/ New York Philharmonic Orchestra (make sure! 1959, the other 1973 is horrible) Sony Classics Label - Bernstein Century Series ($10 US)

4. Christoph Eschenbach w/The Philadelphia Orchestra (2006, LIVE)

Ondine Hybrid SACD - ($30 US)

I am going to return to calligraphy. I used to doodle around with it but I will be practicing more now. 

Photography

In class we have been going over Expressionism, Impressionism, and photography. Early in its birth, photography seemed to lack a defining "style" or "period." It did not seem to earn a place in the art historians' annotations until the 20th century. The juxtaposition of impressionism and photography is startling. Photography being the most absolute representation of vision. Impressionism is fleeting, often vague, and meant to give the emotion of the vision than its purpose or detail. 

I have found a bridge in a modern photographer: David Hockney

He utilizes a great number of collages that take on the architecture of the space... multiple representations of subjects through time almost move like a film. Its parts culminate in a total experience of the scene. The detail of photography with the spirit of impressionism.

David Hockney. Christopher Isherwood talking to Bob Holman #3. 1983

Happy Birthday to you!

Charles Pierre Baudelaire, (9 April, 1821 - 31 August 1867) was a nineteenth century French poet, critic, and translator. A controversial figure in his lifetime, Baudelaire's name has became a byword for literary and artistic decadence. At the same time his works, in particular his book of poetry Les Fleurs du mal, have been acknowledge as classics of French literature.

May his decadence live on!

An apple a day...

I find this strange & mysterious power that is held over the switch from PC to Mac overrated. It borders on comedy to see countless youtube videos of computer geeks and nerds that have made that cross over. They begin filming the event as soon as the box is opened. They gingerly pull out the slim-lined, well designed box that is intended to inspire and protect it's precious contents. They comment on the experience while opening and pulling up the lid. It is as if there were a ray of blinding sun light waiting to shine out once the cardboard separated. They stare in awe and terror of the sleek aluminum body, while the iconic apple logo begs to be illuminated. They pull the Mac out, inspect the contents of the box, still narrating their experience. They open the computer and let the one-time-only "Welcome" experience begin. One dork even turned the lights out... 

So while these nerds are not getting laid or drinking their first beer, they are filming a simple purchase of a computer. Not just any computer, but reputedly the best brand out there. I do not want to hate on the excitement. But youtube is a little too far... 

It will be a week ago last Friday that I opened my baby up... I am still thinking of a name for her... I even took the package to work with me so I could stare at it (because I worked all day). The newness has not worn off, probably never will... I love my new MacBook Pro. ;-)

Shostakovich Ignored...

Well, I would like to report on my presentation for a class, Psychology of Creativity. The presentation itself went off without a hitch.  The problem began when class drew toward a close, the students became restless. I knew that the material selected to conclude the presentation was deep and required attention. Looking back, I should have just dropped it. However, I put my faith in my fellow students--they let me down. Teacher evaluations had to be done, and while was setting up for a clip of his opera, Lady Macbeth, they started the forms. This was fine... but they continued to chatter even through a rape scene. This startled me beyond my wildest fancies. HOW in the hell can you ignore something like that. No disgust, no interest, no attention at all. I have lost some hope, but I will still fight the battle.

Eurythmics: Here Comes the Rain Again.

Igor Stravinsky, 1968

Here comes the rain again...

Lets get the car fixed, and a number of other crazy things, that happen to go wrong with a normal college son.

Oh well... enjoy.

The fog settles...

George Inness. The Monk, oil on canvas 38.5"x64.1" 1873

George Inness was a deeply spiritual American landscape painter born in 1825 in Newburgh, NY. I find a sort of comfort in seeing a more sophisticated representation of his subjects that I found earlier in Bierstadt. It appears that the line has become more poetic than simply descriptive. Inness wants the viewer to gain a sense of a landscape, than just be able to recognize it if they went on a field trip. This particular landscape will combine the familiar religious figure with a serious landscape. Though, it is not in the conventional sense, religious, it is still very spiritual. This spirit permeates his development later on into an interesting impressionist that refuses to settle, ultimately becoming a tonalist. 

The Monk:

In this fantastic feat of composition, Inness has ultimately found a staging that sets him apart from many 19th century landscape artists.  The monk in this painting is said to be the pope, taking a stroll at Villa Barbarini, just south of Rome. The wall of the villa divides the compositional space in such a way that affords one to be aware of the solitary figure, yet basque in the shimmery light of the sunset. This same wall controls the perspective and importance of the monk, almost shrinking him into non-existence.  The Roman pines will substitute, making a commentary on the church's magnitude.  These pines have often been painted, by Inness as well, but never have they substituted for the entire vertical space of a skyline. They are the objects that ground the heavy horizon, and make the ultimate commentary: it is not the pope, it is nature, moreover, God.

George Inness. The Home of the Heron. Oil on canvas, 30"x45" 1893

Inness has moved on from the realistic depiction of a monk strolling through a garden. The solitary figure has been replaced with a subtle representation of nature, the heron. According to his spiritual beliefs, it is that representation of nature that defines God. The fog has settled on the ground, where his realism, symbolism, and spiritualism meet.

George Inness, Sunrise. Oil on canvas, 30"x45.25" 1887

An early work in the same vein shows an everyday person, unidentified, substituting anyone of spiritual significance. The composition is similar, yet the sky is more open... not through the absence of trees as much as the brightness of the sun's rays.

George Inness, The Trout Brook. Oil on canvas, 30.25"x45.5" 1891

Inness reaches a new height in composition and organization of space into quadrants of interest.  Like the divisions of space in Renaissance works, he uses the giant oak tree to divide the space in nearly half, while the vegetation leads to the open sky providing a horizontal division.  The figure to the right of the giant tree is carrying a fishing pole, possibly followed by a dog.  The woman to the right of the brook and giant tree seems content to watch the ripples pass by.  

Not entirely what it seems...

Joseph L. Edwards, Art is useless. 

2009

There are several contradictions in my piece.  

Swiss Army knives strive to be the most useful tool that fits in your pocket.

It also happens to be a great feat of engineering. Art can be useful.

However, this piece exists only in cyberspace and my hard drive...

So in this case:

Art is useless.

Pay no attention to the man behind the canvas!

Velasquez, Las Meninas. 

1656-7

This painting has always fascinated me... for apparent reasons. In the age of portraiture, one can find similar styles, layout, and structure. The often centralization of the model and standard pose can become monotonous.  

This time, Velasquez, destroys what we know of portraiture. At first, we are the models. The court watching as the master applies brush to canvas. The thousands that have stood before the company have essentially been painted by him.

 

Yet, it is not what we think. The mirror in the background gives it away. Velasquez is painting a portrait of Philip IV and his wife, Mariana.

Michael Foucault, in a stunning display of observation, gives a detailed analysis in his book The Order of Things. It touches every brush stroke, as well as the empty space between canvas and viewer. Its depth is intriguing. 

Excerpt from Chapter 1:

But the relation of language to painting is an infinite relation. It is not that words are imperfect, or that, when confronted by the visible, they prove insuperably inadequate. Neither can be reduced to the other's terms; it is in vain that we say what we see; what we see never resides in what we say.

The startling truth found here can make even the most devoted art historian/writer shutter. It does not mean, that the words are meaningless. It simply means that words are not all that we see. It would be an infinite novel if we captured everything. The room around the canvas--the frame--the light outside--the dust between us and the paint--inside the canvas--behind the canvas--our very own eyelids--the faint ghost of our noses, that which we take for granted, because it is always with us; there before us. This is only the surface... it gets much deeper, deeper still to infinity. If we begin to think about what we "imply" from seeing, the list is two-fold. 

There seems no end to what words could possibly do. And yet, one can assume that even this would not be enough. The words are not seeing; no matter the apparent accuracy. Still the exercise of writing about what we see is priceless. It affords us a grid of layers, once organized, we can move on to the next, returning as needed to reevaluate. We can disassemble, move around, mix up, reorganize, and then reassemble these pieces until a sufficient understanding has been reached. Then, and only then, can we begin the process of discovery and understanding. We can finally begin the journey of enjoying the moment caught on canvas, its meaning, its purpose, and where it fits within our own canvas. 

Landscape and fire

Valerei Hegarty, Fallen Bierstadt, 2007
Foamcore, paint, glue, gel medium, wire, canvas, paper, wood.

I begin with the destruction. I am fascinated by those artists that feel the need to speak through the destruction of others work. However, it seems completely valid form of expression. 

This work by Valerei Hegarty, born after Albert Bierstadt's Bridal Veil Falls at Yosemite, comes to a violent end. It dangles from only one anchored corner. Many things can go into its interpretation: it can tell of the death of the genre; the slow death of museums (either through negligence or starvation); destruction of the artist...

The original possesses an original beauty. Bierstadt will always hold a unique place in my mind. As will Hegarty, because I found the destruction first. I see a distant connection in the falls to Turner, yet the clarity in the actual landscape moves too far from his fading wisps of color. Following in Bierstadt's foot steps, Hegarty performs a perfect execution of illusionism. Her work is centered on decay, fire, water, rust, and death. 

Gianlorenzo Bernini

Bernini betrays!

His very medium of stone seems to disappear under his hands.  There is a certain concern that the flesh might be cut or even bruised.  The delicateness masking the sheer masculine power carves a perfect divide between man vs. woman in his Apollo and Daphne.  

The comfort found in Daphne's pending escape is absent in his Rape of Proserpina.  Bernini seems to have captured the moment a respectable film maker would cut the scene (even if only to preserve an R rating).

Through complex staging of the characters, unlike Michelangelo, Bernini implies the presence of the evil serpent. The draping of fabric, almost gleams like the reptilian scales of the monster.  He is there to witness the heinous crime of rape. Pluto's wisps of hair, the tongue tasting the rancid air finding sweat, fear, and desperation.

The effective absence of the serpent only strengthens the realism that has been breathed into the mythology.  It depicts the moment of capture, with Pluto's hands dug deep into her side. Proserpina seems fearful, yet her face also holds a bracing acceptance of the inevitable - 

she will be raped; she will be taken away; her freedom has already been lost.

Because it has a past

Joseph L. Edwards                                 February 10, 2009

 

"On June 1, 1889, Americans woke to the news that Johnstown, Pennsylvania had been devastated by the worst flood in the Nation's history. Over 2,200 were dead, with many more homeless. When the full story of the flood came to light, many believed that if this was a "natural" disaster, then surely man was an accomplice." 

Art has been used to symbolize some of humans' loftiest ideals and beliefs. The artist can represent through their craft ideals ranging from philosophy to religion. Those works that were to capture the embodiment of the Christian religion came to its height during the 16^th century. Its influence on art is immeasurable, as well as culture.

    The last decades of the 15^th century saw the emergence of international humanism. People of status were suddenly interested in foreign art, which included religious works. Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary, collected Italian Renaissance works and even had his palaces redesigned in the rustic Italian Renaissance style. Culture spread widely just as the Christian faith spread with the development of monasteries and the illuminated manuscript. Among these works, was religious sculpture, second only to painting that depicted religious scenes, figures, and rituals. The powerful genius of men like Michelangelo, Bernini, Bellini, and Mazzoni helped foster the new aesthetic of religious art. These aesthetic concepts took hold in the art world and remained a powerful force in our culture.

    For centuries, mankind has utilized statue in places of rest. These places, cemeteries, offer a lasting memory of past lives. The desire to make these places lavishly decorated has long been in our culture and in the European culture. Gravestones, mausoleums, and memorials are designed to reflect and individuals life, family, and personality. Some of the most engaging are those statues of religious figures. The young shepherd with the lamb and the virgin seem to dominate the repertory. The figure of angels is also a popular representation. They provide that link between humanity and the supernatural. The spirit as transcendence, guards the earthly body until the final resurrection.

    The angel is often portrayed with its glance firmly on the earth, while the arms are open in heavenly acceptance. Like Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa, the robes of the angels cover the head, arms, and legs. It leaves the hands exposed in an open embrace that has yet to complete contact. Her titled head echoes yet another work of Bernini, The Blessed Ludovia Albertoni. As in the pose of St. Theresa, her facial expression defies words. The angels are often depicted with a toned down version that alludes to spiritual satisfaction and confidence in her soul's final destination.

    The case of a devastating event can also see angels adorn the monuments to the memory of those lost. The Pestsäule in Vienna marks the end of plague epidemic in 1679. It was worked on by several artists including Ludovico Burnacini, Tobias Kracker, and Johann Bendel. The column represents the prayer to cease the plagues by Vienna's Emperor Leopold I. The column pointing straight to the heavens, directs the viewer's gaze to a place of peace, comfort, and safety. The Pestsäule remains to this day the most treasured sculpture in the heart of the city.

    Just as the angels guard over the souls at rest, the religious works of the Renaissance stand over humanity. They provide a shelter of beauty in difficult times. They remind us that there is something bigger than our self is. That is humanity and our ability to create such beauty that lasts for what seems like eternity. If not physically, these works will live on in our hearts

So it begins...

I have recently became rather interested in blogging. Blogging has been going on for a while... and suddenly I need to be apart of it.

The purpose of my blog is currently up for grabs. I am going to keep the intended content kind of loose. I would like to be able to use this space as a journal, diary, working journal, and such... Here we go.