Arts

People have been depicting animals since the dawn of history. Over 17,000 years ago, humans painted images of the animals they wished to hunt on the walls of caves. The ancient Egyptians portrayed many of their gods with the heads of animals, while tribal art often combined human and animal features to symbolize the bond of humans with the natural environment. 

By the 18th century, images of animals were often portraits of particular creatures—be it a prized pig or cow, a racehorse or hunter, or a beloved pet. That tradition continues today, as can be seen in a new exhibition of paintings and sculpture at the Gilded Moon Gallery in Millerton. While the 11 artists whose works are on display range from self-taught to highly trained, they are all exceptionally talented.

 

 

When two artists merge their efforts into a joint project and when those artists are of both of great sensitivity and possess great talent, it is likely that something great will emerge.  Those who heard Peter Wiley and Anna Polonsky play together at Bard last weekend were in agreement that they had heard music of the highest caliber, achieving greatness.  The project was the complete works by Beethoven for piano and cello, played over two days, Saturday and Sunday. That is not an enormous body of work, but I thought, as I left the Sunday concert at Olin Hall, that if Beethoven had heard these two players as we had heard them, he would have increased his repertoire for these instruments, perhaps doubling it.  The program started with Beethoven’s seven variations on Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen (“In men, who feel love”), from Mozart’s Dei Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), which sounded more Mozartian than Beethoven-like—light, lilting, and full of song. Beethoven, clearly enthralled by Mozart, was inspired to write these variations on the fetching aria of Papageno.  

A Night on the Town  at the Millbrook Library drew a crowd Friday night as people scurried inside to avoid the brisk February air.  They were greeted by a display of refreshments supplied by Coach’s Wine & Spirits, including wines and eats.

The evening’s festivities began with a brief talk by photographer Bill Wiegelman whose works are on display.

Wiegelman’s traced his love of photography to a class he took in college. While that may have initially inspired him, he said his family encouraged him, sitting patiently while he flipped through film prints.  His wife, children, parents and in-laws awere there in the audience, ratifying   their support of his photographic endeavors.  In his day job Weigelman is a fireman in Eastchester, where he lives.

Contemporary music had an airing last Thursday at Merkin Hall when the Ecstatic Music Festival took the stage in a program of new music, hosted by John Schaefer of WNYC. 

Classical music is being redefined as players and composers incorporate ideas, sounds and techniques from other traditions into music played, for the most part, on traditional orchestral instruments.  Last Thursday we heard a group called YMusic, composed of six classically trained musicians playing violin, viola, cello, clarinet, flute/bassoon and trumpet.  They were joined by composers playing bass and piano, and later two guitars and synthesizer.

This article appeared in the February 15 edition of the paper.