A first-of-its kind festival celebrating the influence of Expressionism across music, film and visual art will be held at the University in March. Expressionism: Emotions Unchained is believed to break new ground in bringing together the work of legendary figures such as Alexander Scriabin, Arnold Sch枚nberg and Fritz Lang across different events that consider the influence these artists had upon the world and each other.
Over the course of four nights, there will be concerts, screenings and live events featuring internationally-renowned performers including New York-based soprano Erika Baikoff.
鈥淓xpressionism is one of the most intense and influential movements in art,鈥
says
Dr Robert Taub
, Music Director at The Arts Institute, at the University.
鈥淚ts defining characteristic is the artistic interpretation of the emotions that arise from experiencing daily realities, rather than a portrayal of the realities themselves. And this festival represents a first, in drawing together the pivotal music, visual art, and film of the period into a reflective, cohesive experience.鈥
The festival opens on 12 March with a concert, pairing the final piano sonata of composer Scriabin, with Sch枚nberg鈥檚 melodrama Pierrot Lunaire for mezzo soprano and instrumental ensemble 鈥 two works created within a year of one another in the early stages of Expressionism. The performance will be staged in the Sherwell Theatre, and features Robert Taub, pianist; Alison Wells, mezzo soprano; the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra鈥檚 Kokoro Ensemble; and Mark Forkgen, conductor.
Two days later, the focus switches to film with the influential German science-fiction epic, Metropolis, screened in the Jill Craigie Cinema.The film will be introduced by Anna Navas, Film Administrator at The Arts Institute and Dr Taub.
Glasgow-based Art historian Dr Deborah Lewer will join Dr Taub on stage for a talk entitled Visual Art and Music on 16 March, discussing the intersection of the two artforms at the heart of Expressionism. Together, they will explore questions such as how did Wagner鈥檚 Tristan chord change music? How did Kirchner鈥檚 brief but emotionally charged time in the military impact his paintings? How did Scriabin鈥檚 synesthesia influence his music? Did Sch枚nberg鈥檚 experiences with painting reflect in his music? And how did Sch枚nberg鈥檚 music influence the works of Egon Schiele?
Expressionism: Emotions Unchained closes on the 19th with a second concert that features three string quartets from composers Sch枚nberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg.Each quartet 鈥 Webern鈥檚 Langsamer Satz, Sch枚nberg鈥檚 String Quartet no.2, and Berg鈥檚 String Quartet 鈥 will be performed by the acclaimed Marmen Quartet. Erika Baikoff, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, will perform in Sch枚nberg鈥檚 iconic work.
鈥Expressionism emerged at a time of pandemic , of urban crowding, international tension, political unrest, and depersonalization of our lives,鈥
adds Dr Taub.
鈥淎ll of these issues have their parallels in today鈥檚 world, and that鈥檚 one of the reasons why it鈥檚 so fascinating to look at this artistic movement through a contemporary lens. In its portrayal of emotions arising from the experiencing of daily realities, rather than representational portrayal of the realities themselves, Expressionism speaks to us as vibrantly now as it ever did.鈥