A13 Put to the point with a pencil. Basics of scientific work.
After taking care of my master's thesis on Francesco Borromini Chapel in the Collegio di Propaganda Fide in Rome, Prof. apl. Dr. Thomas Korth also took over the role of a doctor father for my dissertation on painted harpsichords. At first sight, between those two issues seem to lie worlds. The scientific mode of exploration, however, is the same. While about Borromini already extensive literature was existing, the paintings on instruments represented a complete unexplored territory.
Nevertheless, taking a closer look and a new evaluation - just as if nobody would ever have seen the artefacts before - mark the beginning. To arrange the observations, putting them in a sensible order, is a cautious process, followed by deatilled elaboration. In special memory is the sharpened pencil in the sense of a conscious ascetic reduction to the essentials. In drawings this contouring tool separates between body and space, sometimes merely signifying, sometimes contrasting and sharp demarcating, free-hand or drawn with a ruler. In the text it corrects, adds or deletes. It is of aristocratic fineness, but always appropriate to the nature of the user. It enables a specific approach to art as a cultural heritage, particularly to architecture, in which plan, measure and number play a special role.
The architectural drawings of Borromini in the Albertina document the form development of ground plans and elevation views in superposed layers - eg multiple entrant or vault variants - and also a special preference for the development of crossing and corner solutions. With deep feeling for room and space, Borromini developed his artefacts considering rhythm, intervals, proportions and formal references - as if musical principles would be of hidden relevance.
This way, I got an idea of the high precision work of visual analysis, whether in architecture, painting or sculpture. Auditive impressions were at first excluded to enable full attention to the processing subject - and in fact, areas are existing in which arts live their own lives and influences from outside appear as a mere presumption or disorder. Especially during scientific approach, similar to an amazing-curious discover, the works of art are surrounded by sacred silence!
The pencil is such a versatile and intellectually stimulating instrument that valuable characteristics - including the polyvalent viewing option (succession, one layer over another, after another, side by side) - are put too rashly aside with the preference of the keyboard - which only knows the succession - but has, however, other advantages.
But prepared functional sequences also have a disadvantage: they are stencil-like and regularly inappropriate. Not coincidentally, the harpsichord has been associated with the insensible rattling off the sewing machine – so in the 19th century, when people scornfully looked on olden times. All beauty of timbre could never compensate the leveled dynamic, nor any emotive adaptation of the tempo. But at least in this way little inner light came into the musical-box-like play. By contrast, the piano and much more the violin were able to produce the right volume with matching timbre (beat and vibrato) at the appropriate moment- with astonishing variety and the possibility of a far more complex interpretation. Not without reason, people say: "C’est le ton qui fait la musique."
In exactly reverse consideration, Claude-Bénigne Balbastre (one of Rameaus students) brought together the characteristics of the harpsichord with the virtue of aristocratic self-control. That explains why he called the fortepiano a «parvenu» which could never have a great future because it always tends to show emotion. The history documents another development. Nevertheless Adolph Freiherr von Knigge noted 1808: "What the French call Contenance, self-controll and harmony in the outer behavior, equanimity, avoiding all impetuosity, all passionate outbursts and hastily - every man of lively temperament should be aware of theses virtues." Seen in this way, the harpsichord had an educational function as François Couperin put it in his booklet "L'art de toucher le clavecin" from 1717: "A l’egard des grimaces du visage on peut s’en corriger soy-même en mettant un mirroir sur le pupittre de l’epinette au du clavecin." As the remarks of Knigge, also those of Couperin can be read like instructions for good behavior.
On the other hand, the overwhelming impact of the play by Franz Liszt was described by the pianist Wendelin Weissheimer in 1898: «Smiling he agreed immediately, sat down at the piano, posing us around an began first to prelude in a colorful back and forth, then more and more Beethoven-like until he cited the main theme marking the colossal work. In such glory this majestic theme may have sprung from the head of the divine Creator himself, as now the miracle hands of Liszt piled in front of the astonished. How then whispered the piano after the fermata and how eloquent it went poco a poco crescendo back to the Forte up the gigantic theme like a protruding rock and for the second time trembled the grand piano! How easy pearled the quaver movements of both hands, how it all came out and not failed the smallest! Who would be able to describe this in an adequate manner! We had heard incredible things - and seen, because Liszt interpreted also with facial expressions!"
Exclusivity is therefore a matter of interpretation - self-generated and self-highlighted - to make everything else seem to be insignificant and trivial. In the academic environment, the term of the ivory tower therefore was created. We encounter the issue of separating the important from the unimportant in numerous representations of the wise and foolish virgins. While the wise are concerned to devotion and handicrafts, the others spend their time with playing the Virginal, with culinary delights, with playing cards or in simply with sleeping the whole day.
Also in reality, many layers are superimposed like levels of meaning, which can only be detected with the instrument of language. One of these layers is the gender allocation or preference for certain colors or instruments. It has a graceful side, recognizable by the grace and the pride of the women shown in a festive wardrobe in front of their instruments, and a pejorative, because soon other instruments were associated with the female sex. Due to the proven finger-dexterity, typewriters made them to secretaries or to female operators. In german language, the dimwittedness is typical for ladies, whereas magnificence characterizes men. Also in dealing with each other, it is the sound that makes the music, and the preference of the black of the masculine gender cannot only be found in churches. It stands for seriousness, grandeur and devotion. In Europe, the church was of great influence with respect to the unbalanced relationship between sexes also in the private sector.
Other layers are: the technical development of keyboard instruments, their relationship with the furniture, the religious reference, the path from the so called cantastorie to the sound movie. But let us return to the encounter of the arts. At the end music and art have the compositional calculus and the emotive impact in common, that can be experienced by both: being silent touched as well by being completely overwhelmed. In the sacral region both arts provide a psychological predisposition to an inner openness to spiritual experience - with simultaneous perception with apparent effect reinforcement toward admiration, enchantment and rapture. In the opera, this is not different, but the secularized consideration, which created the term theatrum sacrum can be seen for understandable reasons as blasphemous because it in no way meets the content - precisely because this perspective does not want it.
Although the arts have quite often a strong and powerful appearance, they are subject of influence by the Church since the religious symbolism may be found in both: religious architecture and music - just as a gift of the Holy Spirit, as contemporary pictures - or the Epiphany Chapel - vividly keep in mind. So arts have already long been occupied by a world view, even before independent individuals could be recognized by the public. According to Christian interpretation, God alone is the Creator and Master - composers and artists servants or tools - which were granted late to sign their works with corresponding pride on their own performance.
Arts do not rebel against such exploitation. It is their job to follow each creative will, whatever it is. Instruments were made to be instrumentalized. However, the scientific approach requires analytical separation and the disclosure of a suggestive subliminal effect and is intereted in the causes. Illusionism is a matter for itself. For the recognizable spiritual orientation other disciplines are responsible. Since worldviews have the biggest format that ever can be submitted to an art historian, a clearly structured approach is essential. View of art and ideology must be kept apart. I wish every human being such a mentor, who passes on the right tools for self-exploration of reality and presents an example in its own area of expertise.