A MUSICAL MOMENT
After having seen «Danser Sa Vie» again last week and taken the time to relax in front of the Nijinski’s rendition of «Afternoon of a Faun», it is not surprising that I opted for an exhibition which has just come out. «Debussy Music and the Arts» at the Orangerie in the Tuilerie gardens.
So I don’t forget. He was born in 1862 and died in 1918. Young as only 56. Crossing that marvelous period of the Impressionists, Fauvism, Cubism and the beginning of Modern and Abstract art...yet he said himself that at the end of his life he was not so inspired by the modern painters of that period. Difficult to believe this. However, his music still influences the ideas of composers right up to the present day. From what I saw, Klimt, Kandisky and Kupka were influenced by his music so I am sure that he too must have «seen notes» in their work.
Although small, it’s a dizzy exhibition and shows without any doubt that his greatest inspiration for music came from the visual arts. Right from the start he was interested in artists (and their friend) who were not rigidly traditional. Degas, Whistler, Turner, Odile Redon, and Camille Claudel to name a few. His fascination too with Oriental art is much more than I had imagined.
A Korean Pensive Bodhisattva caught my eye as his pose was much more casual than those I know. Unfortunately photos were not permitted and there are very few on Internet that I can «borrow». The Post card selection was limited.
However, it was interesting that Maurice Denis does have a larger palette than I imagined.
There were three Edvard Munch in black and white (done in colour at a later date) «Jealousy», «Separation» and «Vampire». As far as I could see the Vampire actually had wings. It was "Starry Night" which I have alreay seen that brought musical sounds to my ears.
Many of the artists seemed to have contributed to Debussy’s music and broken away from their known or recognizable styles. Bonnard was one Degas another.
The Paul Klee «Polyphonies» and his exhibition which I saw at the Cité in October last year made some of the concerts we heard seem «visual». I could see Klee’s painting, his mathematical designs when listening to Paul Hindemith or Schönberg. Suddenly both Painter and Musician merged and became one. In a strange way, I think with Debussy it is the other way around. Looking at some of the paintings in this exhibition, I could hear his music.
A lovely moment.
«I love pictures almost as much as I love music» (Claude Debussy: 1911).
So I don’t forget. He was born in 1862 and died in 1918. Young as only 56. Crossing that marvelous period of the Impressionists, Fauvism, Cubism and the beginning of Modern and Abstract art...yet he said himself that at the end of his life he was not so inspired by the modern painters of that period. Difficult to believe this. However, his music still influences the ideas of composers right up to the present day. From what I saw, Klimt, Kandisky and Kupka were influenced by his music so I am sure that he too must have «seen notes» in their work.
Although small, it’s a dizzy exhibition and shows without any doubt that his greatest inspiration for music came from the visual arts. Right from the start he was interested in artists (and their friend) who were not rigidly traditional. Degas, Whistler, Turner, Odile Redon, and Camille Claudel to name a few. His fascination too with Oriental art is much more than I had imagined.
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| The Wave of Kanogwa - Hokusai : Debussy "The Sea" |
A Korean Pensive Bodhisattva caught my eye as his pose was much more casual than those I know. Unfortunately photos were not permitted and there are very few on Internet that I can «borrow». The Post card selection was limited.
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| Maurice Denis Green "Trees" 1893 |
However, it was interesting that Maurice Denis does have a larger palette than I imagined.
There were three Edvard Munch in black and white (done in colour at a later date) «Jealousy», «Separation» and «Vampire». As far as I could see the Vampire actually had wings. It was "Starry Night" which I have alreay seen that brought musical sounds to my ears.
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| Munch -"Starry Night" 1901 |
Many of the artists seemed to have contributed to Debussy’s music and broken away from their known or recognizable styles. Bonnard was one Degas another.
The Paul Klee «Polyphonies» and his exhibition which I saw at the Cité in October last year made some of the concerts we heard seem «visual». I could see Klee’s painting, his mathematical designs when listening to Paul Hindemith or Schönberg. Suddenly both Painter and Musician merged and became one. In a strange way, I think with Debussy it is the other way around. Looking at some of the paintings in this exhibition, I could hear his music.
A lovely moment.
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