Pulcinella

Of the countless artists throughout history, most pale in comparison to the great Pablo Picasso. Few have created revolutionary new styles of art, and not many have the comprehensive knowledge of their domain to freely adapt from one form to another. However, these artistic gifts did not fall freely into Picasso’s lap, rather, his life progressed through stages of grief and loss. Picasso sacrificed significant personal relationships and sanity for creativity’s sake, solidifying his own determination to accomplish his greatest goal: to create art that made people feel. In Howard Gardner’s work, Creating Minds, Gardner praises the works of Picasso, marking him as one of the creators who fulfilled developmental and system creative processes and submitted to a Faustian bargain, finding fame while simultaneously proving that tragedy and sacrifice have integral functions in the development of a brilliant mind. The formation of a great mind begins in the early stages of life. The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity defines developmental creativity as creativity which “develops over time; mediated by an interaction of person and environment” (Kaufman 27). Picasso’s father, thankfully, provided an encouraging environment, prompting his creative endeavors and fully recognizing his talent. Picasso’s father made a living as an academic artist, his fascination with bullfights influencing young Picasso’s early works. However, Picasso soon stepped out of his father’s small shadow,…

I've been really enjoying this thread and your discussion of swan Lake convinced me to sign up. I'm not usually this negative, but here's a bit I wrote about the NYCB costume gala... I saw the NYCB costume gala program (not on the gala night). I thought Justin Peck's Pulcinella was very well crafted. It's great to see him tackling Stravinsky, classicism and tutu ballets. In my opinion, the costume gala is always a gamble. One example is Liam Scarlett's duet where the woman is so dwarfed by…

lack of organization. Also, the late Romantic Wagnerian style was associated with Germany, which most people viewed as an enemy at the time. The neoclassical solution for these issues involved the return to structing pieces with classical and baroque forms. Also, neoclassical music consisted mostly of diatonic tones, avoided melodramatic instruments such as the violin, and was largely unprogrammatic. However, neoclassical music was not a return to the classical; some aspects were new:…

dramatic notes, as well as, phrases with prolonged vibrato. At the end of the work, the cello fades out slowly as the piano continues to softly play. The song, acclaimed to haunt performers and audiences alike, is characterized by darkness and angst (La Jolla Music Society). I found the placement of this song within the program to be untimely. It darkened the otherwise pleasant mood and made me feel drained. Despite this, Vocalise, is a true testament to the power music holds over human emotion.…