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Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
composed about 75 operas during his career, and ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ remains a consistently popular operatic comedy.
MARTY SOHL/METROPOLITAN OPERA
Vittorio Grigolo as Nemorino and Aleksandra Kurzak as Adina in Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.”
OPER A REV IEW
More Delightful Donizetti at the Met
‘L’ELISIR D’AMORE’ By Barry Bassis
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EW YORK—This season, the Metropolitan Opera has been performing a number of the works of Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848): the dramatic “Three Queens” trilogy and two of his most popular comic operas. Recently, “Don Pasquale” opened to charm audiences, and now the equally entertaining “L’Elisir d’Amore” (“The Elixir of Love”) has arrived.
The new cast is just as winning as the earlier one.
Bartlett Sher’s production opened the Met season in 2012. The new cast is just as winning as the earlier one. “L’Elisir d’Amore” combines silly comedy with pangs of emotion. The plot concerns a country bumpkin named Nemorino, who is in love with the more intelligent Adina. She reads books and tells the villagers the story of how Tristan won the heart of Isolde by drinking a love potion. When Dulcamara, a seller of fake medicines, arrives in town, he tricks the gullible Nemorino into buying an elixir, which is supposed to cure everything from boils to bed bugs but is really Bordeaux wine. See Donizetti on C5
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
Artist Justin Wood at the Grand Central Atelier, where he paints and teaches, in Long Island City, New York, in February and March. A painting by Justin Wood, “Attributes of the Arts,” 2016.
Justin Wood Casts a Calming Spell With His Paintings A glimpse into the atelier art world By Milene Fernandez | Epoch Times Staff EW YORK—He finds inspiration just walking through a little grocery store in his neighborhood. Some lemons with stems and leaves still attached to them—as if just picked off of a tree—caught his interest, so much so that he decided to paint them. Those lucky lemons were more destined to nourish the soul than to serve as garnish. A few days later, the leaves and the lemons shriveled. “You just have to figure out ways to deal with the fleeting nature of things,” Justin Wood said while looking at his still life arrangement at Grand Central Atelier, where he paints and teaches. Some fresh leaves were stapled to a board substituting, for reference. Wood has been creating a couple of paintings for a group show at Eleventh Street Arts in Long Island City, opening on April 15, and a collection for his first solo show at Collins Galleries on Cape Cod, opening on July 30. The 33-year-old painter, soon to become a father, is the second generation of artists at the atelier who are mentored in the tradition of the old masters. Equally proficient at figure and portrait painting, Wood recently turned to still-life painting, initially for practical reasons. (If you are going to paint from life, buying fruit is more affordable than paying a model). He admires the work of Rembrandt and Caravaggio. More recently he’s been inspired by the 17th century Dutch still-life painters, like Pieter Claesz, Jan Davidsz de Heem, and Willem Kalf. “Pieter Claesz often used earth tones, simple and calm compositions. There’s something about those paintings that I really love, the sort of moods that they created,” Wood said. If you would add a Persian rug, stale bread crumbs, some moldy cheese, a nautilus cup, a piece of china, and some unidentifiable lavish objects to Wood’s still-life ensembles, his paintings could pass for a 17th century Dutch paintings.
It makes living better when you have beautiful things around you. Justin Wood
An unfinished cast drawing by Justin Wood.
Still, Wood is a contemporary artist at a humble, yet blossoming beginning with many years ahead for him to further develop his vision. He started to sell his paintings through galleries just two years ago. Looking at any of his paintings can instill immediate calm and peace, even with their little hint of drama. They seem nostalgic for the 17th century to some degree, but with calm detachment, as if suspended in waiting. In any event, the calmness that they evoke is a welcome antidote now to the rush of distracting images pulsating from electronic screens that we subject ourselves to every day. The finesse and subtlety evident in his reproduction of a grape, for instance, can evoke profound emotion. One may ask bewildered, how is that even possible? First of all, he has dedicated himself fullheartedly to his art, rigorously honing his skills. At this time of ever-shorter attention spans, unlike other millenials, Wood is constantly extending his. He can easily concentrate and focus—getting into the zone and losing track of time. He had to be especially patient with himself at the beginning of this apprenticeship with the atelier in 2007, when he wasn’t able to draw and paint the way he wanted to yet— striving for a very high standard. That standard increases endlessly. “I think with anything, the more you do something and if you do get better at it, it becomes more enjoyable because you are succeeding more at it, and that makes you want to wake up the next day and do it again. Once you put the time in, the years and the hours, you start to express what you want to, and that’s pretty satisfying,” he said. Wood can perceive, observe, and thoroughly study a kiwi—even considering how to paint the hairs on that fruit—for weeks. “Texture is very challenging, but it’s a really fun thing to do. How do you make something
look the way that it feels in life? There’s more to it than just understanding how the light falls across the object,” he said. The kiwis on the wood surface were already shriveled and had to be replaced. “I wouldn’t eat food off of this,” he joked. Every kiwi is different. “It becomes impossible to copy that thing, so I have to think about the attributes and universal qualities of what makes a kiwi a kiwi, or just anything, so there’s a benefit of that fleeting aspect of the perishables in that it forces you to think a little bit harder, and that gives you an opportunity to go beyond nature a little bit,” he said. It’s as if he’s creating his own worlds—showing the ephemeral quality of things, reminding us of our vulnerability, our mortality—but what for? There are plenty of things and people we come across everyday without paying much attention to them. They don’t really move us in anyway. In contrast to contemporary art that reflects a despondent world (that is, in the vein of Duchamp’s urinal, “Fountain”), Wood’s art invites moments of deep reflection and wonder, as an antidote to relentless distractions. Ultimately and simply, his is an act of love and courage. He aims to create art that shows the best versions of people and things, even if those best versions couldn’t exist because they are so much better than reality. “I think people respond to that, and it just enriches their lives. It makes living better when you have beautiful things around you to look at,” he said. Art that brings out the best “gives pleasure to the people that create it and pleasure to the people that look at it. That’s important in and of itself,” Wood said. “This Is New York” is a feature series that delves into the lives of inspiring individuals in New York City. See all our TINYs here: epochtim.es/TINY or follow @milenefernandez on Twitter.
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts RACHEL NEVILLE
The Classics: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Pianist Michael Scales
The Classics Make Shared Experiences Live Michael Scales on piano with New York Theatre Ballet dancers Amanda Treiber and Steven Melendez.
By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff Practitioners involved with the classical arts respond to why they think the texts, forms, and methods of the classics are worth keeping and why they continue to look to the past for that which inspires and speaks to us. For the full series, see ept.ms/LookingAtClassics
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wo classical forms are Michael Scales’s mainstay: classical music and ballet. As pianist and music director for the New York Theatre Ballet, he believes classics are important because they share human experiences across time, and make them come alive. The great works that stand the test of time and still speak to us help us glean understanding about what the world was once like. Of course, classics are necessarily of a specific time and place in history. Sometimes they are written in response to a social movement or artistic fad, and then they become a time capsule, said Scales, who has a master’s degree in classical piano performance. “Shostakovich’s compositions show what it was like to live in Soviet Russia under that repressive regime,” he said, and his music gives us a more visceral experience than would a history book. It allows us to experience a bit of what we won’t or don’t have to live through. But just as the classics can let us glimpse a past we might never experience, they also show us that some human experiences remain the same over time. There is a unity in human experience, which they demonstrate. Even after 200 years, he says, we can hear and recognize ourselves in them. They give us a portrait of our human emotions, and that’s why we still play them today. “They still ring true,” he said by phone on Feb. 8. “Chopin still evokes similar experiences—like isolation—that we can feel today. It can touch us as it touched people in the past,” he said. Scales started on piano as other children might, when his parents gave him lessons. Over time, his own passion for music grew. Later, he studied at Kutztown University of
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COURTESY OF MICHAEL SCALES
Michael Scales is a pianist and the music director for the New York Theatre Ballet, playing for its rehearsals and performances.
Greatest Poems Ever Written PA R T 3 O F 10
The Classics in Live Performances After graduating, Scales went to New York with no prospects. He had heard that pianists could earn a living playing for dance classes and tried his hand at that. Once he started, he fell in love with it. Currently he plays for both NYTB’s rehearsals and its performances. The company performs small classics, new contemporary works, and innovative ballets for children. Playing for both rehearsals and performances gives the musician and the dancers a chance to develop tremendous rapport, and the dancers can take the security they feel in rehearsals into the performances. For his part, Scales likes that he is not the center of attention. Theater, ballet, and music meld to be experienced as a whole. In a similar way, his work for NYTB resembles a musical form he loves: chamber music. Performers of chamber music, which is undergoing a renaissance of sorts, play in settings
that are smaller and more intimate than those of concerts, where the context is larger. The focus in a concert is on what the performers bring to the music, rather than on the music itself and the listeners’ reactions to it. This sets up a distance between the player and the audience and may make a concert seem high-brow to some, “where we think of tuxedos,” he said. Scales prefers the more personal setting. “In a room with a fireplace, it’s more inward,” less formal, he said. “People listen for the sheer enjoyment.” And the chamber setting changes how a performer plays. The playing can be subtler, quieter. In fact, the artist can almost disappear. Despite his preference, Scales believes that both settings are important. As long as we continue to hear live music, he is satisfied. Although a recording of the great pianist Vladimir Horowitz captures a moment in time and is really special, nothing can replace the drama of hearing a classical work performed live. “Whether it’s noticing the subtleties of how a performer interprets a piece, or simply the drama of watching someone immerse themselves in their art,” live renditions of the classics become “a moment in time that is ephemeral and precious and takes the listener and performer away from their day-to-day lives,” he said. Scales loves a quote by Gabriel Fauré: “The artist must love life and show us that it is beautiful.” In a sense, a musician becomes a translator for the classics. He or she “becomes a liaison for the audience into the world of the composer, and can bring new relevance to classical works where, even though the vocabulary might seem dated, underneath lie the same joys and fears we experience still today as human beings,” he said. “That is what I think great musicians today strive for in presenting the classics—not ‘how original can my interpretation be,’ but ‘why does this great piece of music still speak to us.’” “The biggest challenge I feel as a musician sometimes is to just get out of the way and let this timeless music speak,” he said.
8. ‘Ozymandias’ By Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822) I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: “Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
By Evan Mantyk
n this series we look at the ten greatest poems originally written in the English language, one by one. It is presented from least greatest (No. 10) to greatest greatest (No. 1), and each poem is followed by a brief analysis. PUBLIC DOMAIN
Percy Bysshe Shelley.
In a sense, a musician becomes a translator for the classics.
Pennsylvania with Dr. Maria Asteriadou, and then he took his advanced degree at James Madison University, where he studied under Dr. Lori Piitz. Although Scales enjoys playing new works, he believes that the classics are important when learning an instrument. In fact, many of America’s leading composers and artists of the 20th century learned from Nadia Boulanger, a famous French pedagogue. She taught exemplars from Aaron Copland to Philip Glass what they needed to know about Bach, Mozart, and Chopin. Performers learn the expressive colors of the compositions of certain great composers through time, and also the limits their instruments imposed on them. Scales explained that each great composer pushed an instrument to the limits of its capabilities until the instrument itself was modified. The piano of Mozart’s day was softer sounding and had a smaller range than later instruments. By the time of Beethoven, the instrument allowed for a much louder sound, so “he expanded pieces tonally, and the music became bigger, more sustained, and lush,” Scales said.
Analysis of the Poem In this winding story within a story within a poem, Shelley paints for us the image of the ruins of a statue of the ancient Egyptian king Ozymandias, who is today commonly known as Ramses II. This king is still regarded as the greatest and most powerful Egyptian pharaoh. Yet, all that’s left of the statue are his legs, which tell us it was huge and impressive; the shattered head and snarling face, which tell us how tyrannical he was; and his inscribed quote hailing the magnificent structures that he built and that have been reduced to dust, which tells us they might not have been quite as magnificent as Ozymandias imagined. The image of a dictator-like king whose kingdom is no more creates a palpable irony. But beyond that image there is a perennial lesson about the inescapable and destructive forces of time, history, and nature. Success, fame, power, money, health, and prosperity can only last so long before fading into “lone and level sands.” There are yet more layers of meaning here that elevate this into one of the greatest poems. In terms of lost civilizations that show the ephemeralness of human pursuits, there is no better example than the Egyptians—whom we associate with such dazzling monuments as the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid at Giza (that stands far taller than the Statue of Lib-
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed: And on the pedestal these words appear: ‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
erty), yet who completely lost their spectacular language, culture, and civilization. If the forces of time, history, and nature can take down the Egyptian civilization, it begs the question, “Who’s next?” Additionally, Ozymandias is believed to have been the villainous pharaoh who enslaved the ancient Hebrews and from whom Moses led the exodus. If all ordinary pursuits, such as power and fame, are but dust, what remains, the poem suggests, are spirituality and morality—embodied by the ancient Hebrew faith. If you don’t have those, then in the long run you are a “colossal wreck.” Thus, the perfectly composed scene itself, the Egyptian imagery, and the biblical backstory convey a perennial message that makes this a great poem.
Percy Bysshe Shelley was an English poet of the Romantic period. Coming from an aristocratic background, he is known for his freewheeling idealism. He broke social and political norms of the time, including marrying below his class, remarrying, opposing monarchy, and opposing organized religion. At the age of 30, while living in Italy, he and a friend died when a storm sank their boat. Full list of poems: ept.ms/GreatestPoems To contact the Society of Classical Poets, write to Submissions@ClassicalPoets.org Evan Mantyk is president of the Society of Classical Poets and a high school English teacher in upstate New York.
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY GERRY GOODSTEIN
(Left) Christian Camargo as Pericles in a wonderful production of Shakespeare’s rarely produced play “Pericles.”
What is made abundantly clear is that those honest of heart and pure of spirit will ultimately be rewarded.
(Right) (L–R) Patrice Johnson Chevannes and Lilly Englert in a scene from “Pericles.”
Purity of Spirit Prevail in ‘Pericles’ Theater Review
By Judd Hollander NEW YORK—There’s triumph and tragedy aplenty in William Shakespeare’s “Pericles.” Spanning two generations and multiple locations, the story features shipwrecks, court intrigue, incest, prostitution, messages from the gods, honest fishermen, and pirates. These myriad and disparate elements are handsomely presented by Theatre for a New Audience at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn. In Antioch, on a quest to woo the king’s daughter (Sam Morales), Pericles (Christian Camargo), Prince of Tyre, is forced to flee for his life after learning a dark secret about the princess and her father (Earl Baker Jr.). The king sends an assassin after Pericles to ensure
‘Pericles’ Polonsky Shakespeare Center 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn Tickets 866-811-4111, or TFANA.org Running Time 2 hours, 45 minutes (one intermission) Closes April 10
the secret will never be told. Wanting to keep his own kingdom safe from Antiochus’s wrath, Pericles goes into hiding. Shipwrecked on the coast of Pentapolis, he makes his way to the court of King Simonides (John Rothman) where, taking part in a jousting tournament, he catches the eye of the king’s daughter, Thaisa (Gia Crovatin). All this occurs after Pericles and his men helped end a famine in the land of Tarsus. Eventually, Pericles learns it’s safe to return home. But fate has other plans and Pericles, who was previously filled with happiness and joy, falls into the deepest pit of despair. The adventure is told with a winning cast and more than a bit of mystical hints of divine intervention. These appear via dreams and the abrupt return of a suit of armor from a suddenly forgiving sea. The entire show zips along with nary a thought of the passage of time. That is, until the storyteller Gower (Raphael Nash Thompson), who serves as narrator of the piece, turns over his hourglass to illustrate a time jump. It’s a testament to the ultimate power of the story and the very able directorial work by Trevor Nunn that neither the continual scene shifting nor some rather convenient plot twists feel at all out of place. Rather everything flows quite naturally from one point to the other. What is made abundantly clear is that those honest of heart and pure of spirit will ultimately be rewarded and in ways more dear than financial. This point applies not only to the title character, but also to his daughter, Marina (Lilly Englert)—a character who takes center stage in the latter part of the story. Marina finds herself betrayed, captured, and forced to work in a brothel. More often than not, she ends up reforming the very souls who seek to corrupt her own. The evergrowing exasperation of her captors (Oberon K.A. Adjepong, Patrice Johnson Chevannes) as their customers turn to the straight and narrow after an encounter with Marina is told with a nice balance of the comedic and the serious. It also provides a good example of poetic justice. Another point Shakespeare stresses is the importance of loyalty—at least loyalty for the right reasons. Pericles leaves his kingdom in order to ensure his people’s well-being and turns to his trusted friend and adviser Helicanus (Philip Casnoff) to rule in his stead. Helicanus later adamantly refuses to assume the
mantle of king despite the pressure from the Tyre court to do so. Another example includes the Governor of Mytelene (Ian Lassiter), who despite the unsavory circumstances of his initial meeting with Marina, eventually becomes her most staunch ally. It’s also interesting to note that not everyone who does evil here receives their just desserts. “Pericles” is one of Shakespeare’s later works, written during what is often called his “romance” period. Plays of this ilk often deal with those who were wronged unjustly, or committed wrongs themselves, and are now able to let go of the burdens of the past and move on. They are wiser, older, and more hopeful for the future. Camargo is perfectly cast as Pericles, a handsome and brooding sort, who more than once feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. Casnoff presents a quiet strength as the steadfast Helicanus. Englert is nicely appealing as the steadfastly innocent and quietly earnest Marina. Despite her ever more dangerous circumstances, she still has faith in the concept of honor. Her faith extends both to herself and to others, including people who didn’t know they had it in them. Offering appropriate commentary throughout the tale—both spoken and musical— is Thompson, who is superbly cast as the storyteller Gower. Also excellent are the music and songs provided by Shaun Davey. These are wonderfully woven into the story and add an extra layer of enjoyment to the unfolding tale. Choreographic work by Brian Brooks is also very well done. Almost never letting the audience catch its collective breath as one scene makes way for the next, the show still comes across as remarkably clear with characters that feel completely real and compelling. Akin to a gigantic roller coaster ride ascending to great highs and falling just as far, Theatre for a New Audience’s production of “Pericles” makes for a wonderful experience. Also in the cast are John Keating, Zachary Infante, Will Swenson, Nina Hellman, Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi, and Dan Weschler. Judd Hollander is a member of the Drama Desk and a reviewer for StageBuzz.com King Simonides (John Rothman) and Princess Thaisa (Gia Crovatin) in “Pericles.”
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY MARTY SOHL/METROPOLITAN OPERA
(Top) Alessandro Corbelli as Dulcamara. (Below left) The cast in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “L’Elisir d’Amore.”
Adam Plachetka as Belcore in Donizetti’s "L’Elisir d’Amore."
OPER A REV IEW
More Delightful Donizetti at the Met
‘L’ELISIR D’AMORE’
Donizetti continued from C1 Meanwhile, Adina is being wooed by a narcissistic army officer, Sergeant Belcore. She agrees to marry the officer to get even with Nemorino, when he feigns indifference to her. The young man, needing cash to buy more of the potion, signs up for the army after Belcore offers him a bonus to volunteer. After drinking the liquid, Nemorino finds that hordes of young women are pursuing him. While he thinks the reason is Dulcamara’s drink, in actuality word has spread that Nemorino has inherited a fortune from his recently deceased uncle. Adina confesses her love and the two finally unite. Belcore takes her rejection well, expressing his belief that many other women will swoon over his charms. Dulcamara takes the credit for everything, from the satisfying romantic ending to the young man’s inheritance.
‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ Metropolitan Opera Tickets 212-362-6000, or MetOpera.org Running Time 2 hours, 39 minutes (one intermission) Closes April 7
Director Bartlett Sher claimed that his production stresses the political implications of the libretto by moving the action a bit later to 1836, to coincide with the Risorgimento (the drive for Italian independence). In his view, the locals are Italians and the soldiers, including Belcore, are Austrian. I doubt that many people in the audience picked up on these subtleties. In any event, the production is handsome, with contributions by Sher’s usual theater collaborators: Michael Yeargan for sets and Catharine Zuber, costumes. The three are currently represented on Broadway by “The King and I” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” The cast is certainly up to the vocal and dramatic demands of the opera. As Nemorino, tenor Vittorio Grigolo is likeable and brings the house down with “Una furtiva lagrima,” the most famous aria in the opera. He looks young and bounds around the stage with the nervous energy of a teenager.
Aleksandra Kurzak is an entrancing Adina, singing with grace and beauty and acting with charm. She also moves well and even dances a little. Her rendition of the aria “Prendi, per me sei libero” was exquisite. The towering baritone Adam Plachetka is a swaggering Belcore. Alessandro Corbelli is wellsuited to the comic role of Dulcamara even if his voice is not especially rich. Soprano Ying Fang made a strong impression in the brief role of Giannetta and is clearly a talent to watch. With Enrique Mazzola conducting, the orchestra and chorus sounded fine. Beginning April 2, Mario Chang sings the role of Nemorino, and Pietro Spagnoli plays Dulcamara. Joseph Colaneri will conduct the April 7 performance.
SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES
CC-PD-ART
The Dragon’s Place in Chinese Civilization
Barry Bassis has been a music, theater, and travel writer for over a decade for various publications.
(Left) A dragon team performs during the Chinese New Year parade in Flushing, Queens. (Right) Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu donning imperial robes. .
Essence of China
By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff Every year, a festival is held across China to honor the awakening of the dragon, lord of moving water. Called “longtaitou” or “the dragon raises its head,” this longstanding tradition marks the coming of rain that will nourish the coming harvest. This year, the celebrations fell on March 10, that is, the second day of the second lunar month according to the traditional Chinese calendar. Dragons have been a part of Chinese culture since even before there was a China. But what makes it such a central icon? In ancient Chinese lore, the dragon is a mystical creature endowed with celestial characteristics. It is the noblest of animals and in its capacity as overseer of water, commands the climate so important to China’s chiefly agrarian civilization. At the same time, it is a mystical creature that embodies the unfathomable pinnacle of perfect strength and freedom. In Chinese naming of the four directions, an Azure Dragon administers the east, that is, the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. To the ancient Chinese, this was the endless source and returning place for all the streams and rivers in the land. Rulers took the five-clawed yellow dragon as an exclusive symbol of imperial majesty. This animal and color also stood for the center, that is, China itself. “I know that birds can fly fish can swim and beasts can run,” Confucius, the master of secular morality, famously stated. “But dragons! I shall never know how they ride wind and cloud up into the sky.” Confucius’ words speak to the significance of the dragon in Chinese culture; simultaneously, his statement was a direct appraisal of the sage Lao Tse, a contemporary of his whose representative teaching of the Daoist philos-
ophy is some of the most famous intellectual work to come out of China. Chinese theories of strategy and natural laws emphasize the superiority of the formless. While the tiger, known as king of the beasts, is considered to have raw yin, or earthly power, it is still confined to a terrestrial base. The dragon’s strength is one of unseen, heavenly yang energy, welling up from the water and weather it rules over. Likewise, the diffuse, abstract principles of Daoism rest in nonintention and understanding the essence of things as opposed to being attached to forms. In two meetings with Lao Tse, Confucius sensed the profundity of the “the old master” (the literal meaning of Lao Tse’s name). Confucius knew that his own teachings, sufficient for expounding the moral principles governing secular affairs, would forever remain a subset of the wisdom of those who set aside everything to cultivate the Dao or Way. Essence of a People Most Chinese villages would have their own dragon shrines, used to bring rain and therefore bountiful harvests. In the heavens, flying dragons were said to act as celestial guardians or pull divine chariots. Aside from the Azure Dragon of the east, lesser dragons ruled the other directions. In sum, wherever there was sky or water, there would be dragons. Even before China consisted of one coherent culture, the dragon could be found in the Neolithic tribes that predated the Chinese civilization as we know it.
A detail of Emperor Guangxu’s robe showing a dragon.
Dragons! I shall never know how they ride wind and cloud up into the sky. Confucius
The first known instances of the mystical creatures can be found in jade artifacts of the 7,000-year-old Hongshan culture that existed in the borderlands of northeastern China and Mongolia. Many similar religious motifs and symbols, including the veneration of jade and dragons, exist in other early Chinese communities and were passed down in later Chinese empires. In folk beliefs, it is said that the first Chinese rulers were in fact dragons-turned-human and sent to rule over man. Chinese civilization itself was said to have arisen when the legendary “Huang Di,” or Yellow Emperor, or his descendants led a semi-nomadic tribe to attack and eventually merge with the the Yan people. Meaning “fire,” the name of the latter tribes refers to the stationary, farming-based culture of the Yellow River valley. To this day, multiple literary names exist for the Chinese people, including “the descendants of Yan and Huang,” or another that means “the posterity of the dragon.” By one popular theory, the ancient Hongshan culture corresponds with the legends of the Yellow Emperor. Whatever the validity of this particular view, the role of the dragon in Chinese imperial symbolism fits in with the rich, cyclical dynamic that drives the story of the world’s longest-lived civilization.
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts VOLKOVSLAVA/ISTOCK
It can be very hard to explain illness to a child, but these picture-heavy books do it well.
Children’s Books Review
A Look at Disease By Linda Wiegenfeld
SCHOLASTIC BOOKS
‘Mama Zooms’ by Jane Cowen-Fletcher This is a book about a little boy who just happens to have a mother who uses a wheelchair. The boy and mom have lots of adventures together when she holds him on her lap while she “zooms” around in her chair. The boy pretends to be a pilot, a jockey, an astronaut, and so on. The father is involved and helps in these pretend activities. My favorite picture is of the mother in her zooming machine holding the little boy while the father holds the little boy’s hand. I also enjoy the picture of the mother putting her little boy to bed. This book normalizes disability with a positive can-do attitude in the face of what might be considered adversity. You can’t always control circumstances, but you can control your attitude. MAGINATION PRESS
Disease is one of the greatest challenges in life. Feb. 29, a rare day needed to align our calendars with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun, is also Rare Disease Day. The sponsor, NORD, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, holds this day to increase awareness in the wider community about rare diseases. The day allows patients to share their stories and promote awareness of the challenges, hopes, and needs of those living with rare diseases. Mary Dunkle, vice president of education for NORD, told me, “This special day only happens once this year, but NORD tries to keep the sharing spirit alive all year long.” Hopefully, an awareness of the roughly 7,000 rare diseases currently identified will lead to their earlier and improved diagnosis, support the development of better national policies to deal with them, increase research and orphan drug development to treat them, and reduce the isolation felt by patients and families enduring them.
When doctors are exposed to patients with rare diseases—something NORD strives for— their minds are opened to new possibilities for diagnosing and treating all diseases. One of NORD’s slogan is “If you hear hoof beats, don’t assume it is a horse—it might be a zebra.” Inspired by NORD, I would like to introduce some children’s books about diseases and disabilities.
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‘Through Grandpa’s Eyes’ by Patricia MacLachlan The book shows a young boy’s visit to his grandfather’s house, where the two have a very close, loving relationship. We see in a very simple and positive way how the grandfather perceives the world without his visual sense. When it is time for eating breakfast, Grandpa’s plate becomes a clock with eggs at 9 o’clock, toast at 2 o’clock, and jam at 6 o’clock. Grandpa uses his senses to play music and do sculpture. On a nature walk, he is so used to identifying birds by sound, the boy forgets for a moment that Grandpa can’t see. Grandpa reads with Braille and listens to the music and words on television to judge the action. Best of all, Grandpa is able to put his grandson to sleep. This is an uplifting book that shows how a person with a disability can handle a daily life that is very satisfactory.
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‘Kathy’s Hats: A Story of Hope’ by Trudy Krisher This book is based on a true story. Kathy loves hats. We see pictures of different hats that Kathy had in her early childhood. Then Kathy gets cancer, loses her hair, and needs to wear a hat to hide her baldness. Kathy’s attitude toward hats completely changes. Her wise mother notices this and tells her to put on her thinking cap when looking at this situation. Shortly after that, Kathy pins her teddy bear pin to her hat. Then she puts many other pins on her hat. With this fashion statement, Kathy finds the inner peace to finish her journey to get well.
WOODBINE HOUSE
‘Lee: The Rabbit With Epilepsy’ by Deborah M. Moss People often don’t like to talk about epilepsy due to a stigma about the disease dating back to ancient civilizations. This book makes it clear that there is absolutely no reason to feel shame if you have epilepsy. For this reason alone, the book deserves wider circulation. It also anthropomorphizes animals, which makes the disease less scary. Lee, a young rabbit, has her first seizure during a fishing trip with her grandfather. Once home, she has a seizure again. Her parents take her to the doctor, who pastes some wires to Lee’s head. The test is depicted in a gentle way and does not seem frightening at all. Then the doctor explains to Lee about all forms of epilepsy in clear, reassuring terms. Once Lee’s seizures are controlled, she and her family discover that she can do everything she used to do, including her favorite pastime, fishing. SCHWARTZ & WADE
Arts & Style Section
‘Little Tree: A Story for Children With Serious Medical Problems’ by Joyce C. Mills It can be very hard to explain illness to a child. This book meets the challenge: A powerful storm suddenly hits the forest. Many of Little Tree’s branches break off. Tree wizards come and give Little Tree herbs. The wizards fix some of her branches and teach her how to do a relaxation exercise to cope successfully while undergoing treatment. This exercise is explained in detail in the back of the book. (It is worth getting the book just for directions to do the magic happy breath.) Little Tree focuses on recovery and, at the end of the story, she is strong and happy. In addition to a wonderful story, there is a very impressive page at the back of the book about serious medical problems.
Two years later, Kathy’s teacher asks everyone to bring a hat and cupcakes to school because Kathy is in remission. The class does so and there is a wonderful picture of everyone throwing their hats in the air, including Kathy. Kathy keeps her decorated hat but starts focusing on her future. She hopes it will include a graduation cap, a bride’s veil, and having a baby with a baby hat.
‘Forget Me Not’ by Nancy Van Laan In words and pictures, this book beautifully depicts a young girl’s perspective as her grandmother slowly loses her memory. Julia, talking in the first person, tells how at first Grandma does not remember names, then forgets what they did together, and then loses her car. Julia describes Grandma’s forgetfulness progressing as Grandma forgets to turn on the oven and wanders off. Finally, Grandma is outside in the snow in only her nightie, digging for forget-me-nots. Julia’s family makes the difficult decision to move Grandma to a home. Julia is sad but soon realizes that Grandma is better off in her new, safe environment. When Julia visits Grandma, she still gives her a big hug each time and shows her unconditional love. At the end of the story, Julia hasn’t completely given up on Grandma getting well because she thinks about bringing Grandma flowers and seeing Grandma smile and clap her hands like she used to. This is a perfect ending for this story and also for this article because hope should spring eternal whenever disease is involved. For more information, see RareDiseases.org Linda Wiegenfeld is a retired teacher. She can be reached for comments or suggestions at LWiegenfeld@aol.com
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBERT FLORCZAK
The Classics: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Artist
ROBERT FLORCZAK
CLASSICAL IDEALS GIVE CULTURE DEPTH By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff Practitioners involved with the classical arts respond to why they think the texts, forms, and methods of theclassics are worth keeping and why they continue to look to the past for that which inspires and speaks to us. For the full series, see ept.ms/LookingAtClassics
An Aesthetic Standard The foundational ideals or aesthetic standards are briefly and bluntly outlined in Florczak’s five-minute video, “Why is Modern Art so Bad,”
Within a culture, each artist contributed to the work of his predecessor, so that over time, the cultural body of work deepens.
Dynamic Symmetry is a system of composing a painting by breaking down the rectangle into subrectangles, each of which is proportional to the whole.
WATCH FLORCZAK’s ‘Why is Modern Art so Bad?’ ept.ms/ArtQuality
on YouTube. In it, he explains that for centuries Western art created astonishing works of beauty that inspired and uplifted humanity. The artists of these works strove for the highest standard of excellence and sought to improve on the works of previous artists. These works were profound, inspiring, and beautiful. Now the deep and meaningful have been replaced with the new and different, and novelty is now held in higher regard than the onceinviolable standards. In fact, he says, recent works strive for the “silly, pointless, and purely offensive.” At the time I write, Florczak’s video has gotten over 1 million views. Some of those responding feared that following classical standards would lead to “tired repetitions” of earlier art. Florczak disagrees. “The challenge to the true artist is to create fresh and vital work within the framework of established universal aesthetics. It is easy to produce something completely new; it happens each time an artist breathes and claims his breath to be a work of art. “What is truly difficult and profound is to produce something new within the demanding expectations of universally held, centuries-old, aesthetic criteria,” he wrote. He explained that late 19th century English painter Lord Frederic Leighton painted nothing like Giotto, an Italian painter from the late Middle Ages. “But their foundations were completely shared and respected,” he said.
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or artist Robert Florczak, the ideals of classical art are what is worth preserving. Unless we build on the standards and ideals of past masters, new work will necessarily be shallow, unable to contribute in any depth to our culture. It is the foundational ideals—ideals like beauty and depth—responsible for the great works that we most need, he wrote in a recent email exchange. He uses a quote from historian Will Durant to make his point: “Roots are more vital than grafts,” he said. “Today, without those continued ideals, we have lost the culmination of all the forwardpropelling greatness—the roots—and instead witness lateral extensions—the grafts—that have little or no connection to anything of aesthetic substance. Like branches growing farther and farther away from the tree, they soon have nothing to support them,” he wrote. He explains contemporary art in opposition to these ideals: “We have arrived at a time in cultural history [where] the cult of personality has reached unimagined heights, where … the artist is more important than the art, and the idea or concept more important than the medium.” Conceptual art, wherein the idea is more important than its expression, espouses that the artistic idea itself is enough, that it suffices as a work of art, and that skill and expression are irrelevant. “These ‘artworks’ are the grafts of which Durant speaks,” he said. Florczak’s artistic career has ranged from fine art to advertising, according to his website. His paintings grace the private collections of celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, as well as corporate collections like those of AT&T and Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
(Top right) “Distant Thoughts,” 2004, by Robert Florczak. Painting with Dynamic Symmetry overlay.
Standards Transcend, Deepen Culture Across centuries, the standards have held true. The ancient Greeks held these values as do today’s representational artists. “Classical standards, the foundation upon which excellence has been historically aspired to and achieved in the arts, are universal and eternal, and can still be recognized in the works of many artists working today,” Florczak wrote. These standards apply across cultures as well. Early 19th century Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai created elegant woodblock prints. His cultural background and interest in subjects were entirely different from the Western masters of the Renaissance, but they embraced similar ideals. “His visual principles were in perfect harmony with those of Raphael,” Florczak explained. Within a culture, each artist contributed to the work of his predecessor, so that over time, the cultural body of work deepens. “It is within this [artistic] sharing that we bond and grow as a people, something that
(Bottom right) “Distant Thoughts,” 2004, by Robert Florczak. French gray pencil on mounted paper.
can’t be done when the ‘rules’ of art are being invented with each new work,” he said. Continuing in the Tradition Florczak has worked predominantly as an illustrator, but he comes from a background in the fine arts. He has “intimate understanding of the classical methods of the Old Masters,” according to his website. “[I] have tried to maintain the standards of classical aesthetics in my work as much as possible. I far from succeed,” he wrote. His compositions, subject matter, and types of media have all been somewhat influenced by the classical tradition. As far as media, he works in graphite, watercolor, and in transparent oil glazing, a technique that is centuries old. His subject matter often depicts themes from history, mythology, or literary works, as did that of the masters of old. In designing a painting’s composition, he follows the concepts of Dynamic Symmetry, which he explained in detail: “Dynamic Symmetry [is] a system of composing a painting by breaking down the rectangle into sub-rectangles, each of which is proportional to the whole. “All objects in the composition are not placed randomly, but placed in ‘dynamic’ locations. This is not simply a mathematical conceit, but a design concept that has been discovered to exist within nature, and shown to be most pleasing to the eye, even if only subconsciously,” he said. He used this method for his painting “Distant Thoughts.” “I composed the two figures, the tree, and all of the surrounding elements within a rectangle that was broken down into a schematic (white lines) based upon a Dynamic Symmetry formulation. The viewer is unaware of this balance in the finished piece, but is subconsciously aware of it nonetheless,” he stated. Florcazak’s work should quiet the skeptics. “Distant Thoughts,” despite its formal composition, the antiquated costumes and poses of its figures, and its romantic theme, looks nonetheless fresh and contemporary. Thus it succeeds exactly where critics would find fault— it seems new. Yet he does not place the classical ideals on the altar of novelty. “In the end, the replacement of classical art and ideas with the worship of rule-breaking and concepts-over-skill is depleting society of that which is culturally most rich and noble. Continuing to replace roots with grafts, as Durant cautioned, has surely resulted in a dead tree,” he wrote.
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March 18–24, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts
THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS ONGOING IN MANHATTAN The Somewhere Project Exhibit Through April 23 Hudson Guild, 441 W. 26th St. This exhibit showcases artwork and poetry inspired by and responding to the utopian vision of a city that’s a better place, as described in the classic lyrics of “Somewhere.” Works by participants of all ages from community centers that are part of United Neighborhood Houses—an umbrella organization of 38 New York City social service agencies—will be included. HudsonGuild.org
VISUAL ARTS ENDING IN MANHATTAN A Palette for Genius Through March 19 Joan B Mirviss Ltd., 39 E. 78th St., Suite 401 With origins dating back to the 9th century, nothing is quite as inextricably linked within the realm of Japanese ceramics as chanoyu, the tea ceremony. Each ceramic utensil employed is selected with great care and thus, a culture of art has always surrounded this tradition. Mirviss.com Kogei: Contemporary Japanese Art Through March 19 Onishi Gallery, 521 W. 26th St. “Kogei” refers to a class of artistic creations produced with advanced technical skill
and refined design aesthetics. Japanese artists develop Kogei in close association with the needs and conditions of everyday life in cities and prefectures throughout Japan, drawing upon local aesthetics and regional materials to reflect diverse social, cultural, and physical environments. OnishiGallery.com Masterworks From the Chinese Past Through March 19 Gagosian Gallery, 976 Madison Ave. For this exhibition Gisele Croës has carefully selected a number of rare and highly representative works of art ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty, all of them illustrating the supreme artistic achievement of the period. GiseleCroes.com Asia Week: Zetterquist Galleries Through March 19 3 E. 66th St. While most Asian antiquities galleries choose one country and show several different media from that country, Zetterquist chose to show one medium, ceramics, but cover all of the Near and Far East. Our March 2016 Asia Week exhibition will highlight Chinese ceramics from the 6th–14th centuries, the gallery's main specialty. Zetterquist.com Exhibition of Jewellery Across Asia Through March 20 Les Enluminures 23 E. 73rd St. Sue Ollemans stared trading in 1979 and has worked with private collections and museums around the world.
SONY MUSIC GREECE/COLUMBIA
A Greek Night to Remember
hee specialises in Mughal and antique Gold Indian jewellery and antique gold articles from China and South East India. Ollemans.com
March 25 at 7:30 p.m. 123 W. 43rd St.
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Viewing The Past Thru Modern Eyes Through March 31 Kang Collection Korean Art, 9 E. 82nd St. Exhibited together, works by Contemporary artists Ran Hwang, Ik-Joong Kang, Minjung Kim, and Wonsook Kim explore the iconography, philosophical and spiritual experiences emanating from Korea’s rich cultural visual traditions while utilizing both traditional and modern art making mediums. KangCollection.com Taisho Era Screens and Contemporary Lacquers Through April 15 Erik Thomsen Gallery, 23 E. 67th St. A pair of circa 1700 sixpanel screens, Stations along the Tokaido Road. An early example of the subject, the screens show a series of sites along the road between Kyoto, long the Imperial capital of Japan, and Edo, present day Tokyo. ErikThomsen.com Northern Dynasties, Early Chinese Buddhist Sculpture Through April 23 Throckmorton Fine Art 145 E. 57th St., Third Floor An exhibit of 30early Chinese Buddhist sculptures with a focus on works from China’s Northern Dynasties, including Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi, dating from
Returning to the United States, Natasa Theodoridou, one of Greece’s most beloved singers, brings with her the Philharmonic Band Omonoia and baritone Pantelis Kontos for an unforgettable evening of music and heritage. $57–$117. TheTownHall.org
386 to 577 CE. ThrockMorton-NYC.com
PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Roberto Devereux March 24–April 19 Metropolitan Opera Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the extraordinary challenge of singing all three of Donizetti’s Tudor queen operas in the course of a single season, a rare feat made famous by Beverly Sills— and not attempted on a New York stage since. From $32. MetOpera.org
baritone Ambrogio Maestri, the recent and unforgettable Met Falstaff—an ideal team for this comic romp. Otto Schenk’s 2006 production provides a colorful backdrop. Maurizio Benini conducts. From $25. MetOpera.org
King Richard. And Prince Hal (Alex Hassell) is carousing with ne’er-do-wells at the tavern. So begins Henry IV Part I, continuing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s sweeping cycle King and Country, directed by Gregory Doran. $30–$125. BAM.org
NEW ELSEWHERE
Henry IV Part II March 28–April 30 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Henry IV’s army has suppressed the rebel uprising. But the king has fallen ill, Prince Hal (Alex Hassell) has fallen in again with the corrupting influences of Falstaff (Antony Sher), and a second uprising looms as Henry IV Part II begins, continuing the Royal Shakespeare Company’s sweeping cycle King and Country, directed by Gregory Doran. $30–$125. BAM.org
ENDING IN MANHATTAN
Richard II March 24–April 29 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Richard II: ruler by divine right, undone through bumbling mortal wrongs. Director Gregory Doran leads the Royal Shakespeare Company in this masterful take on Shakespeare’s incisive study of squandered sovereignty, the first chapter in the epic cycle King and Country. $30–$125. BAM.org
Don Pasquale Through March 18 Metropolitan Opera Donizetti’s lighthearted farce stars celebrated debutante soprano Eleonora Buratto, tenor Javier Camarena, a new king of the high Cs, and
Henry IV Part I March 26–April 30 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. War is imminent. Guilt weighs heavily on the newly crowned King Henry (Jasper Britton) after offing his rival
Dear Readers If you have an event to suggest, please send details to NYC_Arts@ EpochTimes.com in the format you see here.
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