Family resemblance

(Germany) Stefan Gronel "Düsseldorf School of Photography"

Typology

"The Bechers A series of exhibitions are held under the title "Anonymous Sculpture: A Comparison of the Forms of Industrial Architecture."

The Bechers: "They are basically buildings based on anonymity as a style criterion. It reveals a unique temperament.”

“For the Bechers, the way the works are presented in exhibitions and collections is very important, and the way they are arranged clearly reflects this: in the tableaux. Several images (6-24) are combined to form a grid-like pattern. They describe this method as 'typology', which is a rigorous arrangement, following scientific principles, and encouraging the viewer to examine objects with distinction and comparison. . ”

“The Bechers’ contrasting perspective comes from their frequent travels to Europe and North America, where they witnessed industrial architecture that had not been destroyed by the passage of time and urban development. Never ending."

"With more than 20,000 negatives, the Bechers strive to document 'family resemblance' in a long tradition that goes back to Kahlo. Les Linnaeus, and by extension Ernst Haeckel and August Sander"

"The emphasis on the principle of seriality diminishes the expressive power of the single work. , which in turn forces the viewer to compare different works of the same type, and also marks that the viewer no longer needs to look at a single 'masterpiece'."

"The Bechers regard the photos taken in the first 30 years of their artistic career as their own. Preserving the documents of a passing era. Therefore, they only consider themselves preservationists carrying cameras." (English) Peter Watson "German Genius 1: The Third Turn of Germany's Fate." Renaissance"

German and Austrian Music Genealogy

"Bach is mastering the melody, setting the theme and contrast, exploring a tune in different directions, and then returning unconsciously. In terms of the main line of music, it demonstrates an orchestration ability that is unparalleled in human musical achievements. This is not only reflected in its technical complexity, but also in its lasting richness. and full of emotion."

"We should not ignore Bach's formal innovation: under his conductor, the cello was transformed from a harmonious instrument into an outstanding solo instrument."< /p>

"In the early eighteenth century, the musical theme in a concerto was traditionally passed back and forth between the soloist and the orchestra, a principle derived from the concerto grosso in which a group of soloists Arranged to compete with the orchestra, Mozart promoted the solo's independence by adding the virtuosity necessary for beautiful melody. It was under his leadership that the concerto had three movements. One movement is usually allegro, followed by an adagio movement, ending in a rondo. This structure became standard in the 19th century. "

"Beethoven's personal life was not happy, which may be the reason why his music is different from Bach and Mozart. The masterful skills, mystery and perfection of Bach and Mozart are like polished gems exuding the coolness of classical music. Their music is the music of God, while Beethoven composes the music of man. His music comes from his pain and his joy. He fights against the world and at the same time confirms the existence of the world. The advancement of Beethoven's music is the path to human greatness, and his musical achievements are an undisputed monument in the field of human spirituality. "

(UK) Peter Watson "German Genius 2: The Rise of the Educated Middle Class"

Music as Metaphysics

"Thomas Mann once said However, Richard Wagner's encounter with Arthur Schopenhauer was the greatest event in the former's life. In the autumn of 1854, Wagner was deeply shocked after reading "The World as Will and Representation". In one year, he read the two volumes of more than a thousand pages four times. Few composers studied philosophy as seriously as Wagner. Brian Magee believes that Wagner himself was a philosopher. If he had not absorbed Schopenhauer's ideas, neither "Tristan and Isolde" nor "Parsifal" would have been possible. This view also applies to parts of the Ring of the Nibelungs. ”

“Before Schopenhauer, the person who had the greatest influence on Wagner was Ludwig Feuerbach. In his autobiography, Wagner claimed that he 'discovered' Feuerbach while living in Dresden. In his opinion, this was 'the only philosopher suitable for modern society'. The poet Georg Herweg was the first to indicate that Wagner was particularly influenced by Feuerbach's Essence of Christianity. As mentioned earlier, the book argues that there are only humans and nature, and therefore anything ‘above us’ is a projection of our own anxieties and ambitions. "

"What particularly attracted Wagner was that Feuerbach believed that religious belief was almost universal because it satisfied basic human needs. The concerns of religion were completely different from those of biology and physics. When we look at religion, we should understand not heaven or fundamental aspects of reality, but ourselves.

These ideas can be seen in the script of "The Ring of the Nibelungs", in which many of the characters are 'gods from the early times'. In Feuerbach's sense, they are projections of universal human character and desires rather than inhabitants of a transcendental world.

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