Replying to LO24843 --
Well, Sajeela, that is what makes a horse race. I have often found that a
genuine "aha" takes a long time. The quick ones never last. I have often
wondered why the world comes out so often on the other side from the
perceived wisdom on a work of art. Frankly people have a rather miserable
record at deciding what is and is not beautiful in the long run. Carmen
for example was considered gross, ugly and derivative at its premiere with
people totally unwilling to accept the humanity of a Gypsy woman and the
inhumanity of a minor aristocrat who kills her.
I prefer to walk around in the universe of a work for a while before I
decide about its beauty. Giving it time is what makes it a synergy and
meeting it with my whole existence defines the difference between a lover
of artistic expression and a dilettante. Good art is not always overtly
complex but often is. That is another good rule for first viewings but
one can be fooled by that just as one can by some Mozart pieces. For
example I find that great composition often creates mediocre performances
from fine artists while banal, derivative work can often free a great
performing imagination, like the late Henry Irving and his Bells, to fill
in all the blanks and create a unique synthesis in the moment that is
moving. As I get older, I find myself being moved more easily as my
memory hooks up with someone's ideas. That is wonderful for me and
healing but in the ultimate scheme of things does not rise above an exotic
entertainment.
Good night and thanks for your thoughts.
Ray Evans Harrell,
P.S. my Uncle used to be town manager of Vienna and his son is the head of
the Merola Program at the San Francisco Opera. I was a founding member of
the Wolf Trap Company in Vienna after I finished my 2nd tour with the U.S.
Army Chorus at Fort Myer. I lived in Springfield for six years during the
Vietnam War era.
REH
Sajeela M ramsey wrote:
> My meaning-making around Beauty is different; that is to say, for me,
> Beauty is not about product or excellence. For me, Beauty is
> interchangeable with Aesthetics and or the Soul, and is very much about an
> experiential process of Aphroditic archetypical energy. >From an article
> I published in 1999 in AU/NTL Journal:
--"Ray E. Harrell" <mcore@idt.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <Richard@Karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>
"Learning-org" and the format of our message identifiers (LO1234, etc.) are trademarks of Richard Karash.