Thursday, April 19, 2012
Enlightenment Era Discussion Question 3
The Enlightenment Era was a time of challenging traditional beliefs. How did your artist use conflict and/or cooperation to extend their creative process? What processes did they use to extend beyond the standard beliefs of life prior to this new era of thinking?
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I supported the church and monarchy and whoever worked for them. This is how my husband and I met many people working for their government. My husband often met them through the church, he was a preacher. I often met with people from office and let their intelligent thoughts entertain my mind.
ReplyDeleteWell you see, I completely transformed dance. It was originally just for pure entertainment but I went ahead and expanded to make it a disciplined practice. It was hard for some dancers to convert to the new rules, such as the five basic positions of ballet, but they eventually learned to love it because it made it so much more beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was born, I was born with asthma, a lung disorder that prevents its victims from breathing normally. I was a weak and sickly child, and my parents thought I wouldn't survive. Magically, I did. My family was poor and they could only afford free schooling at the church for my siblings and I. I was ordained a priest in 1703, but due to my asthma, I couldn't say mass. I then became a composer for the church because they also needed somebody to write their music. I gladly volunteered, and composed music for the church. I then played violin for other people outside Venice and even outside Italy later in life, all because I quit being a priest due to the asthma.
ReplyDeleteSo do you believe that these barriers hindered or pushed you farther as artists? I cooperated with the law of god and my country and thus I began to get my works published, even as a woman! It was remarkable. I constantly had dinner parties with my good friend Walter Scott who continued to introduce me to influential people after my husband died.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this pushed me farther as an artist. I know that converting dance to a diciplined practice made it a whole new art! It is so much more beautiful now! But I admit, it took some "getting used to" for a lot of people, but look how dance evolved! If I had not pushed through, where would it be?!
ReplyDeleteAs another dancer I thank thee for improving the art of dance! You are correct that without the dicipline in dance it would probably be not as beautiful as it is today.
DeleteI challenged the traditional beliefs by defying everyone (men in particular), and going against the grain by pursuing a career writing plays, even though i was doubted a countless number of times, at one time, I had an epiphany: if someone is really attached to their craft, they should stop at nothing until they are satisfied with themselves as an artist. I chose to completely tune out everyone who did not have anything nice to say about my work, or myself as an artist to extend my creative process and I have gained success by this very wise choice.
ReplyDeleteDid you become completely satisfied as an artist? Do you think think that the opinions of those who will watch or read your works matter at all?
DeleteI have become very satisfied with myself as an artist. And of course the judgement of my work through the public eye is important to me! I am not saying that the public is what made me a successful artist, because I was mostly self motivated and i believe that success is whatever you make it out to be. In order to be famous and world reknown, you have to consider the public eye that is going to praise (or denounce) your work. You can be successful and not care about the public opinion, but in the end, how did you end up with all of your fame and fortune? People in the general public thought that your work was worth lots of money, acclamation, praise, and respect.
DeleteI can honestly say that if I did not have any obsticals in the way of my talent and goal, I would not feel as strong of an artist as I am now. Now I know that I worked for my goal and to be a truely talented dancer. Although, I didn't have as big of struggle as many other artists of my era, I certainly grew from the problems in my experience.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you on this statment. Without obsticals in a persons life they will never learn how to get through harder times and never be as strong as those who have.
DeleteThe death of my children and husband tremendously enabled me to be a better artist. I wrote from experience and without experience, I would have nothing to say.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the fact that my family being poor led to my fame and glory. It all started out when my parents sent us to church school because it was free; there wasn't really any other way to educate us kids. Then, I was ordained a priest because I got my education at the church. After that, I gladly volunteered to write music for the church that educated me and became a composer because of that, because they needed someone to write their music.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a very big church person, it was all about work.Becoming an intern at such a young age didn't give me much time to care about beliefs. As i got older, it hit me because the French Revolution had started and i had cared so little but i knew that wouldn't work then. i was always surrounded by beliefs though because of all the Aristocrats i would dress.
ReplyDeleteI find that interesting. So did those Aristocrats that surrounded you made you want to start caring about your beliefs?
Deleteit was hard not to try to believe because it's royalty i'm dressing, i am almost required to have agreement with the monarchy. I was just always surrounded by them because i worked for them.
DeleteI wasn't big on church either. My passion was fully on dancing and some romance! The only big challenges for me was competition. But help from my teachers early on in life gave me the skills I need for dance. Being in relationships caused some conflict on my social life but I would never let the conflicts of love affect my dance life.
ReplyDeleteI was a big church person getting a full education at the church. I was ordained a priest in 1703 and then had to quit due to health problems known as asthma which had no cures at the time. After I was ordained a priest, I had to quit.
ReplyDeleteBecoming an artist, competition wasn't a problem because there weren't all that many composers in Italy at my time and music was plain and boring before the Enlightenment era.
Sorry for being so quiet I was too busy enjoying this steak...it's great Ms.Andreadis. Well to answer this question I was very into church and religion as well but it didn't get me into my art. I got myself into the arts by being naturally talented. I will always thank God for the blessings he gave me but the church didn't help me get to where I am today.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I like to keep my religion and art separate because religion is not a thing that you can twist and turn and make it out however you want it to be. Art is very broad, perhaps the broadest career choice in the world, and you can do whatever you want in terms of your craft.
DeleteExactly! I agree with you 100%! Aphra you are brilliant!
Deletei believe that church isnt that important, i only have true passion for my art and my family weren't big on church either. It doesn't mean we don't believe in god, it just means we dont care for church. i believe in god, im just not very religious in my beliefs.
ReplyDeleteAs a developing musicista, I gained much ispirazione from the chiesa. Or, more specifically, from the musica played within the chiesa.
ReplyDeleteIt has come to my attention that many of altri artisti have used the example of the chiesa as a tradition that either ispired them or a force that they kept separate from their work. I wonder whether there were other aspects of tradition that you, i miei amici, came across in your lifetimes. For example, crucial parts of my own life and career played out in certain ways due to my encounters with various members of the monarchia, and how I reacted to these encounters.
When I was a adolescente e giovane adulto living in Vienna, the imperatrice Maria Theresa herself was very proud to have me perform the violoncello in Vienna's orchetra alongside my padre, and I was given certain financial advantages for pleasing her. However, I surprised her and most of Vienna by leaving this pleasureful time to return to my Città of Lucca, Italia. This clearly went against the traditional norms of being honored by a monarca.
Another example would have been when I lived in Madrid, Spagna; serving as compositore di corte, for the La famiglia reale spagnola. For several years, the position was positively blissful. Not only was I able to endlessly compose, but my famiglia and I lived in luxury, with no expenses. However, one day on of the princes found one of my quintetti boring and undeserving of his "talent". When he ordered me to change the piece to better suit him, I promptly and unhesitatingly informed him that if he were to judge music, he would first need to understand it. Naturally I was immediately removed from the post, for daring to speak out against the believes of a monarca.
I am not certain whether this completely ties in with what Signora Andreadis was speaking of, but I believe that having love and respect for one's ruler is certainly a deeply ingrained piece of tradizione, and speaking out against it is certainly controversial, and had a very large effect on my life.
Now those weren't my only encounters with important members of state, but I need not get into my employment under the fratello of Napoleon Bonaparte. But I believe that those occurrences are certainly worth mentioning under this discussione.
Forgive me for writing so much, but there are times when I am quite loquacious; particolarmente when speaking about such an argomento interessante!
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