Classic Music in Media

                                 Gaetano Donizetti- Lucia di Lammermoor




                                       



Mozart- Magic Flute

Madama Butterfly Review

Madama Butterfly is a story about a geisha who falls in love with American navy  Lieutenant. In the animated cartoon it has a lot of metaphoric messages. The beginning of the movie it starts with a butterfly. I believe the butterfly stands for her spirit and symbolic of her love and dedication, it represents Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly). The next scene shows MB and her lover in the grass having passionate sex. He has a phonograph player that keeps playing a tune ( Una nave da guerra)The lieutenant then leaves and leaves MB with the phonograph and his hat and also a baby developing inside her womb. He tells her lies that he will be come back for her. Her being madly and stupidly in love waits for him. Her belly got bigger and she gives birth to a fish. The fish is a metaphoric symbol because in Japanese culture it is a symbolic affection of love and it is also a symbol for children. The baby grows up and is flying like a kite. Kite in Japanese culture where mainly used as a religions and thanks giving occasions.  This is the reason she is flying the baby as a kite. The next scene the baby is using her as a kite, stating that the baby started taking care of her because she is missing the lieutenant so much the only piece that she has left of him is their child. While flying MB sees the lieutenant ship and gets excited. She awaits him on top of the hill. Two days later he arrives in the car with a strange woman (who happens to be his wife) he comes and still the baby and waves goodbye to MB. Being so heartbroken she runs away and begins to dismember herself starting with her skin. She then dismember her limbs and her head and cuts off the light. MB dismember her limbs and head stand for the heart break and her turning off the light stand for her death. The butterfly appears again at the end of the video, representing her spirit. 

Farinelli/ Castrato

Castrato- also caled Evirato, male sooprano or contralto voice of great range, flexibility , and power, produced as a result of castration before puberty.  (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/98795/castrato)

Brief History of Castrato- Very popular during the baroque period of 1600- 1700 . Castrato are males who can sing the same as a woman's soprano. Young boys around ages 6-8  that where picked by musical masters where under gone of a "unpractical" surgery where cutting the blood supply to the testicles, would stop the production of anderogen hormones. This would stop the deepness in the boys voical chord and had infantile  penises  would  be After the surgery was completed and  if the boy survived the surgery, he would go through an intensive training of studying and learning music for at least 10 years.. The reason why this was a very popular and considered normal during this  period is because women where forbidden to be on stage due to Catholic Church.(where castration originated from). These boys who grew up to be famous singers who lived very difficult and sad lives.
(http://www.essortment.com/castrati-history-21040.html)


Farinelli- one of the most popular Castrato singers is Farinelli (Carlo Broschi).  One of the most famous Italian soprano castrato singers of the 18th century.  He frequently sang woman's roles due to his talented voice. He appeared in all the great cities of Italy, London,Europe and Spain and performed for royalty.

CUARTO NORTE

So in class Santi showed us one of his artistic friends Cuarto Norte. He used the example as showing us that multimedia is always changing, it doesn't have to happen at a fast rate, and can happen over a period of time.  Cuarto Norte exhibit with the frozen art. Now he creates this pieces of art and puts them in a big freezer and lets frost develop on the pieces. This is suppose to be helping develop the art and give viewers a sense that art is always changing. My favorite piece of art out of the exhibit is the frozen hands. Santi told us the store of how he was molding this project while he was going through a difficult time of his wife being sick from a stroke. I feel like the art piece means that we all have a flame (something to present to the world) but who will be brave enough to with stand the fire to present it.

About Me

My name is Cathrine Black but everyone calls me Cat. I am an EMAT Major (Electronic Media Arts  and Technology) I enjoy the looks on people faces when I tell them the name lol. I'm working on a concentration in Music and Film and Media Arts. My ideal goal right now is to make documentaries of musicians and musical artists. Santiago is my advisor and advised that I take this class. Santiago is every..... eccentric, ehh..   That doesn't begin to describe him in the slightest way. He is very  passionate about his work and has a very unique story to tell. I was always disgusted by the huge foot in the Cass building and know that it is his art, is really a surprise. I am ready to see what he has in store to help me open my creative box, that i'm sure is locked away very tight waiting to be release and expressed.