Notes & Strokes

In the beginning of our chats about this podcast, we ironically had no intention of creating an episode with this week's topic. However, there was no way we could elude such a great topic since it inspired amazing works of art for us to share with you! Do you like fish and narwhal-tusked horses? Maybe certain egg-laying mammals' reading a book tickles your fancy. Either way, there's no way you'll want to miss out on this fascinating episode all about Creation!

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Art:

Giovanni di Paolo (ca. 1403-1482): The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise (1445)

Tintoretto (1518-1594): Creation of the Animals (1551-1552)

Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450-1516): Exterior panel and Creation Panel (1490-1500)

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Music:

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809): Die Schöpfung (1797-98)

How would you like to be a well-established writer by age 25? How about meet Napoleon? Inspire art and music in the centuries to come? Well, this week's topic accomplished all that and more. His prolific literary output brewed up a storm of artistic expression that spanned the continent of Europe. We cannot stress enough how delighted we are to discuss with you some sublime works connected to none other than Johann Wolfgang von Goethe!

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Art:

Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789): The Shipwreck (1772)

Henry Fuseli (1741-1825): The Nightmare (1781)

Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740-1812): Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 8 August 1588 (1796)

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Music:

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Erlkönig (1815)

Franz Schubert: Gretchen am Spinnrade (1814)

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Symphony No. 8 (1906)

To celebrate this 10th episode milestone, we're going to divert ever so slightly from our typical episode style. Don't worry! We'll still be talking about art and music, but we thought we'd take a slightly different spin on it!

For this episode, we'll be fangirling and venting about 10 works (5 works of art and 5 pieces of music) that are familiar to the majority of people. What are these works? Why are they so popular? And, of course, what are our opinions about these extremely popular works of art and music? Why don't you brew up your favorite tea or coffee and join us in this fun new episode!

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Art:

Salvator Dali (1904-1989): The Persistence of Memory (1931)

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): The Last Supper (1495)

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonnaroti Simoni (1475-1564): The Creation of Adam (1512)

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890): The Starry Night (1889)

Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa (1503-05)

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Music:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91): "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" from Die Zauberflöte (1791)

Pyotr Ilyich IllTchaikovsky (1840-93): The Year 1812 Solemn Overture (1880)

Richard Wagner (1813-83): Prelude to Act III of Die Walküre (1852-56)

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): "Hallelujah" from Messiah (1741)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (1804-08)

Certainly not short of any historical significance, Napoleon Buonaparte took the throne and established himself as a great emperor. Both his military prowess and imperial dignity proved rather inspirational, and we're excited to bring you a few works connected to the life of this fascinating individual!

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Art:

Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825): Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867): Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne (1806)

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Music:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 (1803-4)

What exciting topic have we envisioned for you this week? Well, after sleeping on it, we knew that we had to do an episode on Dreams. Artists and composers alike have been inspired by the ephemeral world of dreams, and we're excited to showcase a few examples of this topic!

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Art:

Giotto di Bondone (ca.1266/76-1337): Dream of the Palace (1297-1299)

William Blake (1757-1827): Job's Evil Dreams (1825)

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910): The Dream (1910)

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Music:

Richard Wagner (1813-83): Lohengrin (1846-48)

Edward Elgar (1857-1934): The Dream of Gerontius (1899-1900)

Have you ever been disturbed by some of the heady subject matters artists and composers depict? Well, get ready for this week's episode! Salome and her intriguing narrative have aroused the artistic interest of many over the centuries, so join us as we dance around a few interpretations of this scandalous character!

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Art:

Lucas Cranach, the Elder (1472-1553): Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist (1530s)

Gustave Moreau (1826-1898): The Apparition (1876)

Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571): Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1545-1554)

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Music:

Richard Strauss (1864-1949): Salome (1903-05)

As we promised last week, we have a "Strokes in Notes" episode for you to complement last week's "Notes in Strokes" episode!

What tempting artistic connection have we found for you? Well, the artist had to be entombed for a few centuries before becoming a composer's muse, but trust us - the wait was worth it. Join us as we discuss the connection between 15th-to-16th century artist Matthias Grünewald and 20th century composer Paul Hindemith!

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Art:

Matthias Grünewald (1470-1528) and Nicholas Hagenauer (1445/1460-before 1538): Isenheim Altarpiece (1512-1516)

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Music:

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Symphonie: Mathis der Maler (1934)

How many tetrachords does it take to hear yellow? Well, you might just find out in today's episode! This week, we’re excited to present the first installment of our new dual series: "Notes in Strokes" and "Strokes in Notes."

In this series, we will present an episode that highlights music and art where a piece of music inspired a piece of art (Notes in Strokes). The following week, we will showcase art and music where a piece of art inspired a piece of music (Strokes in Notes). 

We are so excited to share these artistic connections with you, so join us this week as we immerse ourselves in a compositional connection between composer Arnold Schoenberg and artist Wassily Kandinsky!

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Art:

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944): Impression III (Concert) (1911)

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Music:

Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951): Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 11 (1909)

Over the centuries, the seasons have bloomed the fertile imaginations of artists and composers alike. For this episode, we have decided to bless you with a look into art and music inspired by the life-bringing, allergy-heralding and art-inspiring Spring. These works are nothing to sneeze at, but we can't guarantee you won't need a tissue or two as we dig into a handful of beautiful Spring-related creations!

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Art:

Sandro Boticelli (1445-1510): La Primavera (late 1470s-80s)

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c.1525-1569): The Gloomy Day (1565)

Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665): Spring (The Earthly Paradise) (1660-64)

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Music:

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): La Quattro Stagioni (1715-16): La Primavera

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809): Die Jahreszeiten (1799-1801): Der Lenz

Richard Wagner (1813-83): Die Walküre (1856-70): Act 1, Scene 3

Literature often lit a creative flame in the hearts of artists and composers, and Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy was no exception. Who knew that fictionalizing an afterlife journey through Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso would sear a picture of hell into humanity's imagination for centuries to come? Descend into the fire and brimstone with us as we stoke our curiosities on this week's topic - Dante's Inferno!

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Art:

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) - Map of Hell from Divine Comedy (1485)

Botticelli's Divine Comedy as a Graphic Novel

Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) - The Barque of Dante or Dante and Virgil in Hell (1822)

Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) - The Gates of Hell (1880-1917) from the Musée d'Orsay

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Music:

Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-77) - Messe de Nostre Dame: Kyrie (by 1365)

Franz Liszt (1811-86) - Dante Symphony: I. Inferno (1855-56)

Franz Liszt - Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata (1849) from Années de Pèlerinage