A Good Painter and Two Composers 5 comments

6 Jun 2004 @ 13:09, by Paul Quintanilla Those of you who are familiar with this site may know that my father was an artist. As a result of this, I have always had plenty of paintings and drawings to decorate my home with. My walls here are covered with my father’s art. (To see his work go to this [link] ) Another result of having so many paintings and drawings is that I never collected the work of other artists, though every three or four years I tend to come upon an artist I really like. And though I might admire that artist’s work through a shop window I don’t buy, since my walls are already full and occupied. It doesn’t take much money to build a nice collection of art works. Not only are there relatively inexpensive paintings and drawings by unknown artists but excellent prints of the work of famous artists are also cheaply available. Many of which are not that different from the originals. In Amsterdam I once visited Rembrandt’s house and bought one of his engravings in the souvenir shop. And its quality was excellent. Before buying I compared it to one of the 17th century originals hanging on the wall and could see no difference. This engraving, which was signed by the printer, cost me the equivalent of fifteen bucks. It cost me more to have it matted and framed here at home than to buy it. Anyone with an eye, I think, and some determination, patience, and a little bit of money, should be able to build up over time a nice collection of art. BINNEY MATHEWS Somewhat recently I came across a fine painter, and would like to introduce her work to you. She’s a little pricey, as a portrait artist, but at least we can look at her work on the web. What do you think? Binny Mathews' Website. I think Binny Mathews’ work is in excellent taste, which, if you accept the idea of art as supreme good taste, she seems to demonstrate in her work. The coloring is extremely pleasant, the spaces intelligent, everything is balanced and proportionate, and she adds that extra little twist, a spin which brings her work to life. That mysterious spice only good artists have. Don't you think it's enjoyable to look at her work, and to think about it. TWO COMPOSERS Recently I discovered a couple of composers, too. Perhaps you are already familiar with them but if not, here’s some information. EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA I had thought that that incredibly creative musical progression which began sometime in the fifteenth or sixteenth century and only recently came to an end with the deaths of Shostakovich and Aaron Copland had left us with no remaining great composers. That that strain had, for various reasons, petered out and come to an end. But Einojuhani Rautavaara, born in 1928, is a composer of genius. And possessing genius his work displays the forceful originality of a musician who has gone his own route. His music sounds like nothing heard before, and, what’s more, it is beautiful. Extremely beautiful, and, contrary to some of the tenets of Modernism, a delight to follow and listen to. If you should be interested in obtaining a CD of his work Naxos has issued some good performances. You might want to start with his seventh symphony, The Angel of Light, which he composed in 1995. For a brief hint of what his work sounds like you can always go to the Tower site, which sometimes allows you to listen to the first minute of each cut on a CD. JENNIFER HIGDON I came across Jennifer Higdon even more recently, just a few days ago, listening to WGBH FM in Boston. And her music is worth considering. She reminded me a little of Bartok, taking many imaginative leaps and chances. I wasn’t, I must admit, entirely convinced. But, then, that could have merely been me. For Jennifer Higden is, after all, an artist. That may not sound like too much in the way of praise, but considering how rare genuine artists are it is, I think, extremely high praise. Did I like her music? I’m not sure. But like all real artists she has struck out on her own, with her own musical personality and voice. She’s also convincing and she’s quite serious. And if you should ever hear her work I think you will become acquainted with some interesting sounds you never heard before. She has her own website. (How modern that is! Imagine Beethoven with a website. And what would it have looked like?) Jennifer Higden Website. FINALLY What will be considered the great music of the twentieth century in two hundred years? That is, if anyone is around at that time. (But that’s another issue.) Will it be Shostakovich, who caught all the horrors of the twentieth century in his music? Will it be the great innovators, Stravinsky et al? Or will it be jazz? Will jazz be seen as the crowning achievement in music in the twentieth century? Will it be marveled at as something truly unique, full of life, a life which can even be felt then, though the zeitgeist will long be gone? When the mood of a Harlem or Village nightclub has long disappeared. I wonder. In order to see we have to step out of ourselves, listen as if our times had never touched us. And what do we hear? Ah, that “crazy American music,” as Elliot Paul once nicely put it, merrily strumming along. Will Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, or Charley Parker be considered among the towering geniuses of the twentieth century? It’s hard to think, isn’t it, that jazz will ever disappear. That even two hundred years from now that people will think it’s unimportant. That a day will come when only a very few people listen to it.

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