Multimedia presentations are not new. The concept of combing artistic disciplines is rooted in folkloric cultural traditions. Music incites movement. Dance is enriched by music. Opera has traditionally combined music, dance and theater, and to a different extent visual arts (if one could consider set design artistic). The concept of gesamtkunstwerk (gesamt = entire, kunst = art, werk = factory/work) describes universal artwork, one which includes and synthesizes all art forms.
Although the term is generally associated with Wagner (1813-1883), it was first used by philosopher Eusebius Trahndorff in 1827, and aligned quite explicitly romantic ideologies: a reaction against the rational and scientific thinking of the Age of Enlightenment in favor of the sublimity of and strong emotional contrasts of the aesthetic experience. Today of course, our accepted list of what is colloquially considered art or artistic is largely expanded and continues to be challenged. In a post-modern world where everything goes and technology keeps that threshold moving, the concept of gesamtkunstwerk is not only ideal, it’s perhaps impossible to achieve without established limits.
Jade Simmons, pianist amidst many other abilities, crafted a short lecture recital at Wade Wilson Gallery that combined two disciplines. Selected Etudes of Alexander Scriabin and works of Wassily Kandinsky were paired in Hearing Color, Seeing Sound. One thing was certain, Jade loves cool colors, and her playing is sinfully delicious (music and culinary arts, now there is a synesthetic experience cannot live without).
I always describe Scriabin’s music as drunk and high on pot Chopin. A peculiar and frail personality, a hypochondriac (ironically dying from a cut, boil and lip infection while shaving), Scriabin claims, although disputed, to have had synesthetic experiences. Synesthesia is the concept that one sensory stimulant leads to another involuntary one. We use this in language as metaphors quite often. For example: loud colors (those in design know exactly what I meant), bitter cold, and green with envy.
Although I do not agree with musical keys assigned only one color, I do believe sonorities in context can be associated more successfully. Scriabin went as far as aligning each note with a color (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scriabin) Although I am hesitant to be quite literal, and to be fair, I have not done enough research to truly understand Scriabin thought process, colors for me are drawn from a visual representation of the symbolic nature of each piece.
Take the key of C and it's association with the color red. I can't imagine the last movement of Beethoven's Fifth and Mozart Piano Sonata in C Major K.545 being associated with the same color no matter how we shade and discuss. I know the suggestion is horribly simplistic and a little jejune given the scope of both works, but if one is make the argument of synchronicity between color and key, it should be universal right? Or did Mozart write this in the wrong key?
Listen to Beethoven's Fifth, Last Movement
Listen to Mozart's Piano Sonata in C Major K. 545 First Movement
Psychologically the color red symbolizes passion, strength, energy, fire, sex, love, romance, excitement, speed, heat, arrogance, ambition, leadership, masculinity, power, danger, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, communism and aggression. Now think of all companies that use red in their logos. Is that saying something about them?
Here is a piece of music most will be unfamiliar with unless you are a masochist flutist or pianist who loves flutists. I had a clear image when I was learning to play the first movement of the Liebermann Flute Sonata. That of a frozen civilization, icicles, clear, pristine, brushed with grayish blues, whites and glimmers of light. Incidentally, I always hear flat keys in terms of cool tones. Did I get it right?
Listen to Lowell Liebermann's Flute Sonata First Movement
I think it's more valuable to explore the possibility rather than to come up with a strict guideline. Enriching the way we hear, see, touch, taste and smell translates into heightening the way we feel and interpret. Keep up with Jade and let's see what she comes up with next.
