Introduction
It is hard to disagree that art plays a significant role in the lives of all people and communities. Even those who are not very interested in any type of art are impacted by it when watching TV, listening to music, or even walking down the streets. This is due to the significant effects of various art forms on modern culture and other aspects of life. World-famous paintings and sculptures are placed on the covers of magazines, and lines from well-known plays are quoted in everyday conversations. This paper is devoted to the analysis of the David of Michelangelo, one of the most influential and famous sculptures, and “The Music of the Night” composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber from his musical The Phantom of the Opera. This writing aims to describe the main elements of the two works of art.
David of Michelangelo
Research for the Sculpture and the Artists
Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most well-known, respected, and talented artists whose influence on global art is unprecedented. Michelangelo was born in 1475 in the Republic of Florence to become a great Italian architect, painter, and sculptor. His works were already highly recognized and appreciated in the sixteenth century, and “the David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Last Judgement” are still among the most impressive works of art (Hemsoll, 2018, p. 5). As noticed by researchers, Michelangelo was highly impacted by the artworks of the early Renaissance period, including Domenico Ghirlandaio and Giovanni Bellini (Hemsoll, 2018). Therefore, Michelangelo himself became the representative and even the idol of this art movement, trying to add harmony, aesthetics, and balance to his works (Paoletti, 2015). Thus, David became an example of Italian Renaissance sculpture. It was carved between 1501 and 1504 and then “placed at the entrance to the Palazzo della Signoria” in May 1504 (Paoletti, 2015, p. 11). Even nowadays, the David sculpture plays a valuable role in shaping modern culture.
Elements of the Sculpture
Exploring the main elements of David may be very interesting and allow a more deep understanding of the High Renaissance movement and sculpture in general. To begin with, the David is a 14.0 ft full-round sculpture that stands free in a full three-dimensionality. According to Paoletti (2015), “the astonishing visual impact of the statue — a combination of its size, it’s the unabashed and sensually charged presentation of the naked male body, its heroic idealization of that body” has played a significant role in history of art (p. 11). The medium of the sculpture is marble, and it is an example of a subtractive type as Michelangelo created David by carving the excess material. The anatomy of the figure is extremely detailed and realistic – it may seem like David is a real person, not a composition. The statue is not colored and does not have different hues – it is simply white, while the shadows that appear due to David’s highly realistic forms make it look alive. Finally, the lines are rather soft and smooth without unnatural and sharp corners.
“The Music of the Night” by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Research for the Selected Play
One of the most famous plays in the whole world is The Phantom of the Opera. In the original version of the musical, the beautiful costumes, amazing voices of the artists, and brilliant compositions by Andrew Lloyd Webber captivate the viewer’s full attention. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a very talented and influential composer who has created outstanding music pieces for plays like Starlight Express (1984), Cats (1981), Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), and, as mentioned above, ThePhantom of the Opera (1986) (Lloyd Webber, 2018). Being the winner of an extended number of awards, such as an Oscar and several Tonys, Lloyd Webber became a source of inspiration for many people and composers (Lloyd Webber, 2018). The Phantom of the Opera is a gothic play, so the compositions created by Andrew also incorporate gothic elements.
Elements of the Play and Composition
As mentioned above, The Phantom of the Opera is a very beautiful play, and the voice of the Phantom, together with the music by Lloyd Webber, put the audience in some type of trance. The composition has a thick texture: it simultaneously incorporates several elements and many layers of instruments (Marsico, 2010). The melody is smooth, sometimes rising, and rather slow, while the rhythm is rather interesting, emphasizing several moments of the song. Finally, the lightning also adds mysticism to the play and the composition. During “The Music of the Night” is played, the scene is dimly lit, and the faces of the characters are sometimes brightly highlighted. Together with the shadows and the mood of the composition, these elements create a feeling of constant movement and tension.
Conclusion
To conclude, one may say that the David of Michelangelo and “The Music of the Night” by Andrew Lloyd Webber are indeed extraordinary works of art. The two artists are extremely talented, and their highly recognizable creations have impacted and are still affecting other persons of the art. The David, with its smooth lines, realistic forms, and astonishing visual impact, is an outstanding example of the High Renaissance that still reminds people of the genius of Michelangelo. At the same time, the melody, rhythm, and texture of “The Music of the Night” make it a unique and very beautiful composition.
References
Hemsoll, D. (2018). The life of Michelangelo. Getty Publications.
Lloyd Webber, A. (2018). Unmasked: A memoir. HarperCollins.
Marsico, K. (2010). How to analyze the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber. ABDO.
Paoletti, J. T. (2015). Michelangelo’s David: Florentine history and civic identity. Cambridge University Press.