Thursday, April 19, 2012
Industrial Era Discussion Question 1
The Industrial Era was a time of technological change that in turn caused citizens to have to participate in new ways. People began to interact in with members of their communities in new ways as well. Explain how artists in your era showed their awareness of these changes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Artists in the industrialization showed their awareness of the social, economic, and poetical changes in many different forms depending on their art. Personally, I was very aware of the technological changes going on around me. I am very anti-materialism, and many of my poems show exactly how the technological changes in my society are effecting people to make them greedy and materialistic. Not everyone chooses to use their art as a political or social voice. After all, some art forms, such as songs or acts, are not always composed by the artist portraying them. Personally though, I used my poetry as a form of protest against the growing materialism which the new technological age began.
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting how you used your work to protest materialism, Ms. Rossetti. I, too, used my work to express my feelings on the social and economic issues of our time. My work very much reflects that of the romantic period; a artistic movement that revolted against the industrial revolution and the aristocratic political and social "norms" of the Enlightenment Era. It expresses lots of emotion, good musicality, and reflects my belief that the arts and education should be kept first. I also used my music to express my distaste for the Industrial Revolution and the emphasis it put on machinery. (For those of you who are non-musicians, the cool thing about music is that you can send, in essence, a "disguised" message through it. Most might think a song you wrote just a regular old song but you can create music that sends a message and reflects your opinion through it's sound. It's difficult to explain to a non-musician. Hopefully my explanation made sense.) What I'm trying to say is that I, along with many other artists, used my work to send messages expressing my viewpoints about the different world issues going on at the time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating way to spread your opinion, Amy Beach. I am very curious as to exactly which aristocratic political and social "norms" you are referring to. There were many controversial enlightenment political and social ideas, which ones are you referring to here? I personally disagree with materialism in general, and many of my poems showed that. I am also interested in women's rights, and a few of my poems show the feminist side of me. However, I rarely went out of my comfort zone so to speak, so I do not know much about the issues which you mention here. Could you elaborate?
DeleteIf anyone else has an opinion to offer, please speak up. I'm very interested to know what you think.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by what you said about putting a hidden message in music, Amy Beach. I know as a poet that my words can sometimes reflect more that what the reader may guess upon a first, careless reading. I can imagine what you mean about putting hidden messages in music too, and what a wonderful way to express your opinion through your art! I look forwards to hearing more about what people believe on this interesting question from the other talented artists in our era!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you, Ms. Rossetti. Likewise, I admire your fantastic ability to put your feelings about the Industrial Revolution (specifically materialism)into words. That's something I'm not so good at. I best express my feelings through music. As to what you asked earlier, Ms. Rossetti, one of the specific ideas I spoke out about through my art was womens rights. During this time period, many women were finally gaining some of their rights and, with that, were able to become successful artists or intellects much more easily. However, the issue of whether women deserved rights or not was still in question. I, unfortunately, still had to submit quite a bit to my parents and, later, my husband (a lot more than I wished to). Until my husband died, my public performances were limited to once a year. He instead "encouraged" me to channel my love of music into composing. This is just a single example of how my choices were limited because I was a woman (and how I still had to submit to other people). One way that I vented my feelings about this,(besides open resistance)was through my music. The music I composed is very emotional and helped me keep my own emotions under control while I was around other people. Because I channeled my feelings on womens rights into my work, I was able to mask my feelings better.
ReplyDeleteJust like you Ms. Beach, my compositions portray a lot of feelings, great musicality as well. I did not really pay much attention to the new technology as I was way too busy learning theory, writing music, playing my lovely clarinet. I can also really relate to the fact that you put a hidden feeling behind your work. Anyway, I never really changed the way I did my work or interacted with people around me.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting, Mr. Crusell, that you say your work was virtually uneffected by the Industrial Revolution and yet your music portrays so much feeling. There must have been at least one thing that influenced your work a little.
ReplyDeleteThere was infact something that influenced my work. If you recall in my interview I stated that I was really inspired and thankful to my teachers. The feelings portrayed in my work are almost like a big thank you to them. If that makes sense...I felt so inspired by them that I show my feelings through my music.
DeleteI am intrigued by the way that you musicians can put so much feeling into your compositions, and portray so much without words. I am very good at portraying my feelings through hidden messages in my words, but I am very impressed at the way that some of you instrumentalists are able to convey your emotions and feelings with no words at all. Mr. Crusell, it is so unusual that you say the industrial revolution had almost no impact on your art, specifically when the industrial era was such a time of controversy and change. Your work must have been very original amongst all the political works of art that appeared during this time. I think that kind of art would have been very refreshing, as everyone was having everyone else's opinions pushed upon them through art. While I would have liked some less percussive art every now and then, I was not exposed to that side of art at all. Much of my own poetry was very controversial and political.
ReplyDeleteI most certainly agree with you Christina, music does portray a lot without words but personally I think words convey more than music.I best express my feelings through the feelings of the other characters I portray. The more passionate I am about the feelings of my characters the more passionate I become about my feelings on the world.For example when I portrayed the part of Phèdre in Phèdre by Jean Racine, I had to dig into the thoughts and feelings of what it was like to be secretly in love with my stepson while still battling his death. All I'm saying is being connected to a character helps you connect with yourself which then helps you connect with other people.If people in the audience believed I connected with the character well they will trust me more based on the knowledge that i understand other peoples thoughts and feelings. These thoughts and feelings include their political opinions. Now that I could show that I understand their political opinion I can use my fame to my advantage. I can work harder to change things like woman's rights or limit the number of people who grew up so poor like me. Right now the best way to do that for me is to portray how I feel through other characters.
DeleteNow Ms. Felix, I can see what you are saying about how you best express your feelings thorugh portraying different characters but I would not go as far as to say that words convey more than music. Words and music are very different. Words do a good job pointing out specific details of a situation but music captures the overall emotion. I don't think it's fair to compare the two. (Although, if you really want to know, in my opinion, singing is "the best of both worlds". It includes both words and music which helps you convey your idea to the fullest.)
ReplyDeleteThis is a very thought provoking conversation! Art forms of all kinds give us a "voice' to express our thought regardless of the medium. I suspect that it depends on your tastes as to whether or not you find one type of art more pleasing than another. But consider this: How can we use art to reflect what is going on in the society? And as things are changing so rapidly in this industrial era, how can the arts speak to this constant change?
ReplyDeleteWell Ms. Andreadis, in my art (music), you are able to use your feelings about the developing technology when you are composing and even playing your instrument. Also because things are becoming easier such as traveling to perform which is what I do a lot of, I am able to get my feelings across the world.
ReplyDeleteSorry again for it taking so long for me to reply but, like I said on question one I really do not think this affected me. I really just sang for the pleasure of singing. I loved it for a time. It did get boring after a while though. I was givin the music to sing and I sang it.
ReplyDeleteYou can use your art to reflect on what is going on in society many ways. You could write a song or a poem about a specific issue in society and then include your feelings about it. If you are a painter, you could paint a picture of something that has recently taken place in society. If you compose instrumental music or are involoved with other types of art that don't involove words, create a piece of art that just conveys your overall feeling on a specific event. Because of the fact that things are changing so rapidly nowadays, the arts should accomidate this change. Like I just said, we should address our feelings on these recent events through our art.
ReplyDeleteWow, this question was hard for me at first because I was trying to truly think about whether the Industrial Revolution changes affected me. Or how I showed awareness of these changes. I'm not sure if it's just that I'm a Opera Singer. But my singing opera like Ms.Lind it didn't change my music. Mostly because my music wasn't my music. It was compositions and operas. Now I can say that I was very inspired by romanticism. But that's all. I have many compositions like Ms.Beach but they had no secrecy messages. Tey were just from my heart, and fun.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you Amy Beach! There are so many different ways to express your opinion through art! I think artists are the best at expressing themselves out of any other profession in the world. This is because we can connect to the feeling of constant neglect. Every issue that has occurred in our society usually begins by someone or something that is being neglected. Whether it be neglecting of independence or of equal rights for woman, artists can connect to neglect the most. This is due to our high expected reputations, harsh critics who day in and day out kill the pride out of our work, competition against our fellow artists, and of course the fads that change every day in our society that influence us greatly to change the ways in which we conduct our work. The point in which I’m trying to convey is all of things are the mere reflections of the issues posed in our society day after day. As society keeps changing the more neglect we face. We artists know what this feels like because it is a part of our daily lives. We speak to this common change unconsciously! This is because it is our innate instinct to feel that neglect and respond by express it immediately through our art.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you as well Ms.Felix. Music is a powerful, beautiful deep thing that you can express your feelings in. Along with opinions and thoughts, hurts and all. That's just something that's not in Opera. Opera mostly focuses in past events. Not usually current. Theyre stories, tales powerful and moving.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ms. Malibran! I am glad there is someone who can relate to my work! It was hard for us Opera singers to relate to this question. It just makes me think, what if we could? What if we did write our own Operas and what if it potrayed the emotion of this time period? That would be something else would it not? I think that would be very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteLike Ms. Malibran, I agree with you, Ms. Felix. Many artists, including myself, use their art as a way to let out their emotions. We make our opinions known about a specific subject by creating something about it like a song or poem. Because our art is influenced by our opinions so much of the time, artists seem to have generally become very good at expressing themselves.
ReplyDeleteThank you all so greatly for agreeing with me. Another point I would like to bring to attention is as time changes and the more our society is constantly adapting the more we become (in contrast to neglect) successful as artists. This is because as more time goes by the more emotion we feel due to the never ending issues posed. This causes us to be more passionate about our work. The best plays I have been in are written by playwrights who have experienced the same emotions and situations that are posed by their characters. Every time a new issue is posed we take that emotion, that passion and we naturally infuse it in our art. This makes make our art better than it already is due to the honesty it withholds. What makes a good artist differ from a great artist is honesty. This honesty is honesty of yourself, honesty to others, and honesty to your surroundings.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome Ms.Lind!! It's interesting that you mention that because as I was trying to answer this question I thought about what if we could. Would it make sense, because as I state before operas are very old written sometimes almost a century before people will ever perform them. If we could write our own operas based on current events in this time itd be a sight to see! Not only would that be starting a new age of opera. It'd help us be more aware of the current events. Which especially in our period were changing a lot as Ms.Felix spoke of! Also you Ms.Felix your welcome as well! It's quite easy to agree with you because you see the entire picture. Not simply from your point of view! Your explanation of the creative process is nice too. That's not exactly what I feel as I did when it came to all of my compositions. But some of my composition are so beautiful, touching, powerful that I dis have emotion towards. Buries deep in the music! But it just wasnt emotion based on my eras problems. It was based on mine jn my personal life, whether happy haha much like Rataplan or sad.
ReplyDeleteMr. Felix you make an excelnt point! Plays do potray the time and the period fatastically! Thats one thing I love about acting as well! Although I am an opera singer I also enjoy acting as well. It is a beautiful thing to potray a character other than your own. It's just like when singing a song you take emotion of whatever song your singing.
ReplyDeleteMs.Lind I too acted some. I dont mention i nearly as much because I'm a famous, celebrated Opera singer so I often wanted to stick to that! But a question for everyone, do you think our arts have the power to make known and change things that are going wrong in our society?
ReplyDeleteMaria Malbran, I absolutely believe that our arts have the ability to make a difference in society by allowing us to express different viewpoints persuasively.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more, Ms. Felix. And yes, Ms. Malibran, I think our art does have the power to make known and change the bad things going on in society. One example of this would be Dicken's classic "Great Expectations", one of my favorite stories. It is written in the point of view of a poor young boy being raised by a sister who doesn't really love him. It does a good job describing how it feels to not have enough money and helps us develop sympathy for those who might not be upper class (instead of dislike and contempt). My point is, the arts tugs at our emotions which makes it easier for it to influence us.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Ms. Rossetti! I too absolutely think our arts have the ability to make a difference in our society. We change the way people think for a little when they are watching or looking at our art.
ReplyDeleteFellow artists in my era respond to the changes taking place throughout our lives by creating what they want while still reflecting the happenings of the time. All the while keeping their own flare into it so you know it's their original piece.
ReplyDeleteI do think that with the technological advances were great. I remember dancing on a stage lit by candles. The put lights up in the theaters and the audience can see everything so much better. I don't socialize much with people outside of the dance world. With everything that has happened with all the advances, we get more people into the shows and the word-of-mouth is great publicity for our shows reputation.
ReplyDelete