Does knowing an artist’s sense of inspiration for a piece of work enhance our experience with it? Gil Morgenstern, a violinist, wonders this in relation to music. Is an audience or musician moved by knowing that Messiaen wrote “Quartet for the End of Time” while imprisoned in a German camp? Mr. Morgenstern performed the piece along with pianist, Jonathan Feldman, this past Wednesday at W.M.P Concert Hall. After Michele Martin and Misaki Sekimoto kindly came to treat us with a performance, we all know how powerful that combination can be. It seems that Morgenstern feels that some further understanding does, in fact, add to an experience. I am sure this concept applies in all kinds of art.
Read this article to learn more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/arts/music/gil-morgenstern-at-wmp-concert-hall-review.html
Thank you, Mr. Morgenstern, for bringing up this point. I am now encouraged to research pieces of art, whether paintings or works of music, so that I can get the full effect of it. This will definitely help me to gain insight into the works of art!
Even Aaron Copland, the article mentions, was inspired– how lucky we are to have our school of music named after him!
Learn more about Gil Morgenstern here!
I think it is very important to understand context. Understanding cultural context takes a lifetime of listening and observing. The exercises we are pursuing in this seminar are important first steps. It is a long journey.
This article raises the question of if understanding a piece of art is necessary for enjoying it. On one hand, when we attended a musical performance or Don Giovanni, the music majors in the class as well as Professor Smaldone certainly had a much deeper respect for the intricacy of the music. My understanding was on a much shallower level, despite my enjoyment of the music. Knowing the background story to a piece can give it new depth. At the same time, The MOMA is still open, despite how confusing and abstract most of the pieces of art are, and I highly doubt the majority of the visitors do research on their own to understand the artists’ inspiration. This also touches upon “what is art?”, a concept we have discussed in class multiple times. If we don’t understand a piece of art, is it more than just an arrangement of colors in a particular pattern? In my opinion understanding art is not a necessary component to enjoying it; the purpose of art is to evoke a reaction from its audience, without that audience being proficient in the field. That’s what makes it a great piece of art; the artwork itself has an effect on everyone who sees it, despite education.