The years between 1888- 1919 saw an explosion of creativity in the capital of France. From the moonlit serenity of Debussy's Claire de Luneand the hypnotic tranquility of Satie's Les Gymnopediesto Stravinsky's riot-causing Rite of Spring, classical music underwent a profound shift, embracing new ideas of harmony, rhythm, melody and meaning. In art, Monet painted in a white-hot fervor to capture the ephemeral beauty of light, while Renoir and Degas sought to celebrate the spontaneous, every day moments of ordinary women at the piano or dancers lacing up their ballet slippers. The World's Fair ushered in a fascination with cultures of the East, while a new-found interest in pre-Christian religionsled to an exploration of rituals and myths of the pagan world.
Artists, composers, poets and philosophers worked and played side by side, seizing inspiration from one another. Camille Claudel introduced Claude Debussy to Japanese woodcuts and gamelan music; Erik Satie told tales about the Minotaur to Igor Stravinsky while Pablo Picasso sketched them both. It was a time when genius was almost contagious.
Join Kayleen Asbo and special musical guest Bonnie Brooks as Mythica brings to life the glittering world of Paris!
Wednesday, July 1: Cathedrals and Waterlilies Music: Debussy Art: Claude Monet and Camille Claudel
Wednesday, July 8: Dancing Girls Music: The Surreal Erik Satie Art: The Muse of Montmartre: Suzanne Valadon, Renoir, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec
Wednesday, July 15: Rites of War and Peace: Harlequins and Doves Music: Gabriel Faure and Igor Stravinsky Art: Gertrude Stein's Salon and Pablo Picasso
Drop-in rates: Each class (morning or afternoon): $25 Entire six class series: $130