Music & Arts

“Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity.”

Modest Mussorgsky

As philosopher Richard Wollheim says, art is “one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.” In its simplest manifestation, art is a form of communication that serves as a vehicle for the expression of emotions and ideas. As ideas and beliefs are culturally specific and constantly changing over time, there really is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art. That being said, the classical branches of the visual arts are identified as painting, sculpture and architecture. Literature and poetry are considered part of the humanities or as one of the arts, while music, alongside theatre, film and dance belong to the performing arts. In this section you will discover not only specific explorations of individual art forms, but also a more detailed probing of the relationship between the visual arts and music, including painting and music, sculpture and music and architecture and music. Originally, poetry and music were treated as a unity, but gradually they have become more independent. Nevertheless, the two art forms have never forgotten their shared genetic makeup, and been intertwined for millennia. Art and music have engaged in a dynamic relationship that reveals a diverse range of human activity intended to be appreciated for their beauty.

492 Posts
  • Musicians and Artists: Zimmermann and Klein Musicians and Artists: Zimmermann and Klein
    Bernd Alois Zimmermann: Photoptosis (Incidence of Light) Created for the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Gelsenkirchen town bank, Bernd Alois Zimmerman’s 1968 work Photoptosis (Incidence of Light) looked to the gigantic paintings created by French artist Yves Klein
  • Musicians and Artists: Bingham in Rome Musicians and Artists: Bingham in Rome
    Judith Bingham: Roman Conversions In her 2017 organ work, Roman Conversions, British composer Judith Bingham looks at ‘five metamorphoses’ that happened in Rome, beginning in ancient times and concluding in the Baroque. Her first movement describes the setting: San Clemente:
  • The Funeral of Reynard the Fox The Funeral of Reynard the Fox
    The character of the trickster fox is everywhere in folktales from around the world. Sometimes he’s evil, but most often he’s a trickster, known for being cunning, wily, and resourceful. Their first mention comes in the fables of Aesop, in
  • Musicians and Artists: Leisner and Bellows Musicians and Artists: Leisner and Bellows
    David Leisner: Dances in the Madhouse American realist painter George Bellows (1882–1925) is best known for his realist paintings of New York City. Before that, while still in his student years in the Midwest, he made a drawing based on
  • Musicians and Artists: Respighi and Botticelli Musicians and Artists: Respighi and Botticelli
    Ottorino Respighi: Trittico botticelliano Venus, in the middle, presides over her realm, but as it’s Spring, as we know from the painting’s title, Primavera, the world is a buzz of activity. As we read the painting from right to left,
  • Composers and Poets: Walton and Sitwell Composers and Poets: Walton and Sitwell
    The musico-poetic work Façade: An Entertainment Called ‘the high priestess of 20th century poetry,’ English author Edith Sitwell used her experimental poetry to drive a dying form forward. Sitwell (1887-1964) filled her poetry with melody, new rhythms, and confusing private