Welcome to the first episode of a new series we're calling N&SH!(pronounced "nash") As you might be able to tell, it has to do with Notes & Strokes, but the rest is History - Notes & Strokes in History, that is. 

Why this series? Well, we feel that art and music have taken the back seat in discussions of history, so we're gonna change that. In this series, we'll be digging into various important historical figures, events, movements etc. and discussing important art and music of that time.

So we're extremely excited that our first historical topic is Great, specifically Catherine the Great. Who was she? What was her reign like? What transpired during her reign? What beauties were created while she ruled? All this and more in our first installment of N&SH! 

 

Art: 

Dmitry Levitzky (1735-1822): Portrait of Catherine II the Legislatress in the Temple Devoted to the Goddess of Justice (c. 1780s) 

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/_/UQERQLbho_nqYQ 

Iver Windfeldt Buch (1749-1811): Chalice (1791) 

https://www.hillwoodmuseum.org/collection/item/11.223?r=/collection/search?filter%5Bmaker%5D=Iver%20Winfeldt%20Buch 

Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1825): Portrait of Catherine II, Empress of Russia in the Park  (1794) 

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/_/UQHRG2RMUivBqw 

 

Music: 

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809): String Quartets, Hob.III:37-42 (1781) 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91): Don Giovanni, K.527 (1787) 

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Piano Sonatas, Op.2 (1795)

 

Listen to the music discussed in the episode here!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47Ghmg6OaiBPfZmm6ChSdu?si=D-ZuvtRsQL-Ukxo23G_w2A 

 

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Hear ye! Hear ye! ... again... 

We are back with the promised Part 2 of our Medieval era saga, and of course the fun continues! One line of music? Hiding art in tombs? So last century. Let's get with the times of the latter half of the medieval era and see how art and music continued to morph toward what happens in the later centuries. You won't want to miss out on all the juicy info the medieval era holds! 

 

Art: 

The Becket Casket (1175) 

Cimabue (1240-1302): Maesta of Santa Trinita (1280-1290) 

 

Music: 

Guillame de Machaut (ca.1300-77): Messe de Nostre Dame

While there may be a chill in the air, we hope the beautiful sights and sounds of this episode may be able to warm your hearts. As with all the other seasons, Winter has inspired artists and composers alike. The weather, the activities, the metaphors - all of it and more is sprinkled across this episode. We hope you’ll join us with a comfy warm drink as we explore this season in art and music! 

 

Art: 

Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757-1825): The Allegory of Winter (1810) 

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1526-1569): Hunters in the Snow (Winter) (1565)

Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665): Winter (The Flood) (1660-1664)

 

Music: 

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): Le Quattro Stagioni: L'inverno (1716-17) 

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809): Die Jahreszeiten (1801) 

Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-93): Symphony No. 1 "Winter Daydreams" (1866)

Dark ages? We don't think so. Middle ages? Maybe. Either way, we're excited for another historical episode, something we haven't done in quite a while! Today is all about the Medieval era, a fascinating time for all the arts, so why wouldn't we take the time to chat about it? In fact, it's such a gargantuan era, that we are going to take two episodes to shine some light into this purported "Dark Age!" Get some mead and mutton (or cider and tofutton for any vegan listeners), and join us as we fascinate ourselves over the Medieval era of art and music! 

 

Art: 

Good Shepherd from the Catacomb of Priscilla (250-300)

Emperor Justinian and his members of the Court (c. 500s)

 

Music: 

"Haec Dies" Gradual from the Easter Mass

The first noel the angels did say

Was to celebrate artwork and music all day 

On canvas and score did these masters complete 

All their holiday pieces with beauty replete. 

Noel, noel, noel, noel -

Born is the King of Israel!

 

Artwork: 

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510): Adoration of the Magi (1475)

Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898): Adoration of the Magi (1904 version of original)

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872): Flight into Egypt (1828)

 

Music: 

Hector Berlioz (1803-69): L'enfance du Christ (1850s)

Ever felt like there was an angel floating over you keeping an eye on you? Well, maybe you might gel with the inspiration for today's episode - Saint Matthew! Matthew has been depicted in art for centuries, and it just so happens that there's some music connected to him as well. What a coincidence! Who was this guy? Why was he such an important figure? We'll cover those questions and more, and we hope you'll join us in the fun! 

 

Art: 

Giuseppe Bernardi, called il Toretto (1694-1773): St. Matthew (1730s-1760s) 

Jean Bourdichon (ca. 1450s-1521): Saint Matthew the Evangelist (1503-1508) 

Michelangelo Merisi di Caravaggio (1571-1610): Inspiration of St. Matthew (1602) 

 

Music:

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Matthäus-Passion (1727)

Ever thought you had too much blood in your veins? Well, maybe you're a little sanguine. Does your nose drip a little too much? Then maybe you're phlegmatic. Although these theories about the four temperaments have proven untrue, they have still inspired some art and music that we're excited to discuss today! But don't worry. We'll do our best to temper our passion so we don't get too choleric about it!

 

Art: 

Pieter de Jode I (1570-1634): Sanguine (1590-1632) 

Pieter de Jode I (1570-1634): Choleric (1590-1632) 

Pieter de Jode I (1570-1634): Phlegmatic  (1590-1632) 

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528): Melencholia I (1514) 

 

Music: 

Carl Nielsen (1865-1931): Symphony No. 2, The Four Temperaments (1901-1902)

Well we have reached yet another N&S milestone - 25 episodes! When we reached our first double-digit episode, we had some fun looking at commonly referenced works of art and music. So now that we've gotten a quarter of a way to triple digits, we are pulling up some common misconceptions/stereotypes of the art and music worlds. No art and no music discussed for today's episode - just some opinions over warm drinks!

What are you thankful for? As everyone can guess by this point, we are endlessly thankful for art and music, and we think you are too! So we thought we'd do an episode to celebrate the wonderful holiday - Thanksgiving. Thought it was all about food and family? Well, it is, but turns out the arts have quite a smörgåsbord as well! Gather around the N&S table, and let's feast together on some beautiful art and music!

 

Art: 

Norman Rockwell (1894-1978): Freedom from Want (1943) 

Grandma Moses (1860-1961): Catching the Thanksgiving Turkey (1943) 

 

Music: 

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904): Symphony No. 9, From the New World (1893) 

Charles Ives (1874-1954): Holidays Symphony: Thanksgiving and Forefather's Day (1897-1913)

What's in a work? That which we call art 

By any other name would sound and look as sweet... 

 

Now that we have completely murdered this famous line of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we hope you'll stick with us (including our first ever guest podcaster!) since it beautifully depicts the passion in our episode today! William Shakespeare stands as one of the most influential figures of theater and literature history, so it follows naturally that artists and composers would find inspiration in his work. Join the three of us as we dig into all these artistic facets of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! 

 

Literature: 

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Romeo and Juliet (1595-96) 

 

Art: 

Benjamin West (1738-1820): Romeo And Juliet (1778) 

Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853-1928): Romeo and Juliet (ca. 1884) 

 

Music: 

Hector Berlioz (1803-69): Romeo e Juliette, Symphonie Dramatique (1839) 

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953): Romeo and Juliet (1935)