The beginning of wisdom about the arts: FORM IS CONTENT. That is, the form the artist chooses should be consonant with the meaning and purpose of the composition. The composer of a requiem for a fallen hero or the funeral of an only child would fail of the purpose for which he was commissioned by the grief stricken parents of the hero or the child if he wrote a highly melodic, up-tempo Latin dance number. Instead he might use a slow tempo and a minor key to evoke the sorrow of the loss felt by the parents. He might also include melodic passages in a major key to suggest the goodness of the life lived and even the hope of resurrection to temper the sadness. Or the requiem might be quite dark, but it would not and should not display a uniformly gay mood. Because the form of a work of art should contribute to its meaning. On the other hand, the form of the music may have elements that are not consonant with the intended meaning, that are, indeed, in tension with the message.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:46:33 +0000
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