Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 38 - Music inspired by art
This week our theme is music inspired by works of art. Alongside the music we invite all our Jukeboxers to enter an original drawing, painting or photograph that you have created having been inspired by a piece of music. Although we would prefer something created especially for this project, you can also enter a pre-existing piece, but please add the date of its creation. You have two weeks to enter, closing date is Sunday 13 December 2020. More about this at the foot of the page.
Monday November 30
The Great Gate of Kiev Written in 1874, Pictures at an Exhibition is a suite of ten pieces composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881). The pictures of the title were paintings by his friend, Viktor Hartmann, who had died the previous year. The suite was written for piano but many composers have arranged it for orchestra, most notably Maurice Ravel. The last movement was titled The Great Gate of Kiev. Here it is in both piano and orchestral versions. If your time is limited I suggest the orchestral version. Original piano version as written by Mussorgsky Orchestral version Jukebox Extra I found this 9 minute historical background to 'Pictures' rather interesting. |
Tuesday December 1
Mona Lisa Mona Lisa is a popular song written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures film Captain Carey, U.S.A. The title and lyrics refer to the renaissance portrait Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci. One of the most valuable paintings in the world, I am sure I was not alone in being rather disappointed when I visited the Louvre by the size of the work. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1950, beating amongst others Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (Cinderella) and Be My Love (The Toast of New Orleans). It is sung here by the incomparable Nat King Cole. Performance For those of you who like to guess which songs will appear during the week, I am sure you all got this one. |
Wednesday December 2
Sunday and Putting it Together Sunday in the Park with George is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Sunday (BBC Proms 2010) Putting it Together (Streisand) |
Thursday December 3
Vincent Vincent Van Gogh's painting The Starry Night was the inspiration for the song, Vincent. The song was written by Don McLean as a tribute to Van Gogh. Don McLean sings Vincent |
Friday December 4
La Mer The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai. It was one of the inspirations for Claude Debussy's work, La Mer. The Wave appeared on the cover of the score's first edition published in 1905. La Mer is in three movements. Here is the third movement, Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue between wind and waves). Performance |
Weekend December 5/6
Matchstalk Men & Matchstalk Cats and Dogs The work of artist L.S.Lowry was the inspiration behind the novelty song, Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs. The single spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart in 1978. Performance |
Tonic 1 member, Jacqui Martin, gives the following advice: "At first I thought your suggestion sounded tough but then I realised that what you are suggesting is exactly what I do with my art group! Each fortnight I give them an art topic e.g. Just Add Water, Japan, Reflections, etc., and give them two weeks to produce a picture/painting that has something (anything) to do with the topic. So your suggestion of an art project entitled Inspired by Music would be perfect. Likewise your suggestion of photos is also a lovely idea as they can either submit pictures of loved ones playing or perhaps an arty picture of instruments. I think that this would be a lovely opportunity for parents and grandparents to get out the crayons/paints that they have in a cupboard for their children/grandchildren to play with and to use them themselves to have a go!" More ideas here.