A trend in musical composition that we’ve been seeing around this time in Paris is inspiration being taken from artistic mediums that are not music related. Picasso being an influential figure in art, obviously, had an effect in musical life in Paris. His work in Parade is the main focus of my research, and in what ways his art influences the larger thematic content of the show.
Included is a link to a compilation of scenes from Parade, featuring multiple characters and musical settings. One aspect of my research came from just observing his art and interpreting how it communicates meaning in tandem with the opera. The experience of watching the show is very telling, as the show features characters of different races, utilizing different musical themes and compositional practices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Chq1Ty0nyE
Knowing what we know about the musical life in Paris is its emphasis on creating meaning for the everyday, Music reviews and newspaper articles from authors like Nigel Simeone and Oliver Struck inform us of the period’s affinity for music and culture strictly Parisian, though defined in opposition to German compositional habits and in conversation with immigrant and other artistic endeavors. These became very instrumental in researching Picasso, as an understanding of the culture that bears an artistic work like Parade would be very important in determining his influence in musical life.
Paris – A Musical Gazetteer, Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, 2000, pp. 11–21.
Strunk, Oliver, et al. Source Readings in Music History, Norton, New York, 1998, pp. 161–166.