Modernist Opera :: Modernism Music Art Opera Essays

Modernist Opera Modernism, a major artistic movement of the first half of the twentieth century, is traditionally a classification of the visual arts, including such schools as Abstraction, Impressionism, and Expressionism. In architecture, too, was Modernism recognized, in the work of people like Frank Lloyd Wright. Even in literature, with the increasing use of symbolism, Modernism was an influence. Modernists in all of these art forms are consciously engaged in the expansion of the boundaries of their art, and in asking their audiences to reject the status quo, both of the art and of some aspect of society or culture the art form addresses. When faced with a discussion about the possibility of the existence of Modernist opera, classificationists around the world can be heard coughing quietly into their drink and muttering something vague about having somewhere else to be. Until recently, opera and Modernism were two terms rarely, if ever, heard together. The large amount of scholarshi p that has been devoted to the study of Modernism and its principles has not been extended with the same vigour to include its application to opera. Questions have been raised about whether it is even possible to define â€Å"Modernist opera,† and few have attempted such a feat. I confess some confusion as to why the issue raises such difficulties. An examination of just three of the operas written in the time period, Richard Strauss’s Salome, Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, shows us that a categorization of Modernism is not inappropriate to the genre. Like the visual and literary arts of the time, these operas are attempting to redefine their genre and to bring public awareness both to the possibilities of the genre and to societal issues. Perhaps I will begin my argument about the suitability of a category of Modernist opera with a small disclaimer. It is important to note that, as far as opera is concerned, there is no definite boundary between pre-Modernist works and Modernism itself. One can argue that Wagner’s attempts in the nineteenth century to make opera into something new are examples of an early Modernist inclination. Wagner had new ideas so immense that he had to build his own theatre to house them. His interest in revolutionary politics and in the philosophical ideas of great thinkers like Nietzsche is certainly unique for opera composers prior to the twentieth century.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a form of theatrical play that incorporates dance and drama in its presentation. It originated from the Kerala in the southern part of India. Kathakali combines five essentials of art, such as expressions (stressing the importance of facial expression), dance (rhythmical movements of the hands, legs, and body), enactment (giving emphasis to hand movements), song or vocal accompaniment, and finally instrument accompaniment. Most Kathakali plays utilize the local language which is Malayalam. (Wikipedia, 2007)Performances are based from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Kathakali is said to be the study of performance art as a combination of religion, philosophy, and psychology, and not of religion as a performance art because it assimilates elements from each aspect, that is religion, philosophy and psychology, and perform it in an artistic fashion. To illustrate, the most popular theme of Kathakali plays are based on stories of Krishna (such as Bhagavata Purana). (Ancient Worlds, 2005)Krishna, as we all know, is considered as a divine being, worshipped around the world by people who practice Hindu traditions, in particular, Hinduism (Wikipedia, 2007). The story of Krishna in Bhagavata Purana contains principles and beliefs that are the bases of religion, specifically Hinduism, and its philosophical foundation. The goal of performance art, in general, is to capture the mind of its audience. Read also  Arya Samaj at  https://essaysamurai.co.uk/arya-samaj/The success of each performance is based on the responses of the members of the audience. In the psychological aspect, Kathakali makes use of facial expressions to captivate the soul of the audience. Kathakali artists establish a connection with their audience through their theatrical methods and techniques. Another form of performance art, however, ancient in nature, is Kutiyattam. It is safe to say that the foundation of Kathakali in terms of religious, philosophical, and psychological aspect also applies to Kutiyattam because Kathakali is said to have originated from it.ReferencesAncient Worlds, (2005) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Ancient Worlds LLC.Wikipedia. (2007) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali

The French Expression Comme il Faut

Expression: Comme il faut Pronunciation: [kuh meel fo] Meaning: properly, correctly, respectably Literal translation: as it must Register: normal Notes The French expression comme il faut comes from the impersonal verb falloir. Il faut means it is necessary, so comme il faut means as (it) is necessary or, more idiomatically, properly, respectably. Comme il faut can be used in reference to any sort of situation in which etiquette demands a certain type of behavior. Examples   Ã‚  Ã‚  Habille-toi comme il faut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Dress properly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Qui peut faire ce travail comme il faut  ?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Who can do this work correctly?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Des clients vont dà ®ner avec nous ce soir, alors conduisez-vous comme il faut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Clients are going to eat with us tonight, so behave/be on your best behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je ne sais pas rà ©pondre comme il faut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  I dont know how to respond properly, I dont know the right way to respond. It can even be used as an adjectival phrase:   Ã‚  Ã‚  des enfants trà ¨s comme il faut   Ã‚  Ã‚  well-behaved children Comme il faut can also be used in reference to things with a meaning more along the lines of as it should or like its supposed to:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mon ordinateur ne marche pas comme il faut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  My computer doesnt work/run like it should. When comme il faut is used in English, it tends to have a somewhat snobbish nuance that is not necessarily present in the original French expression.