Born in Sicily, Italy in May 1660, Alessandro Scarlatti emerged a brilliant baroque composer. Evolving after the renaissance period, baroque music made a bold and sweeping movement in European territories from 1600 to 1750. The genre encompassed a detailed musical composition emphasizing both the instrumental and orchestral pieces wherein ornamentation was used to “dress up” the music. It is from this era that the performing art of operas and oratorios made their first appearance. Oratorios, like the dramatic works of operas, include the musical ensemble sporting both the voice and orchestra but without the general picturesque view of a theater set.
Scarlatti, commonly known as the father of Domenico (a gifted composer of the generation to come), was recognized for his exceptional ability to create pieces for his singers and instrumentalists fostering depth and intellectual expansion. His career really gained momentum in the early sixteenth century. Along his way of becoming an international sensation, Scarlatti composed an oratorio based on the biblical story of Genesis. He titled it “Il Primo Omicidio” otherwise known as “The First Homicide.” The photo above is “a detail from the ‘Ghent Altarpiece’ and the pivotal moment between Cain and Abel” wherein Cain is the world’s first known murderer and Abel is the first known to be murdered.
As the story goes, Eve first gives birth to Cain, and later gives birth to Abel. Abel became a shepherd. Cain became a farmer. Abel offered God a lamb. Cain offered God crops. Abel was favored in Gods eyes. Envious of his brother’s distinctiveness and importance in the eyes of God, Cain led his brother out to the fields and slayed him. Scarlatti’s oratorio is described as being equipped with “accompaniments to capture temperaments that ranged from fierce hostility to heartbreaking pain.” And this “Ghent altarpiece”, or panel painting, used in the performance is an artwork depicting exactly that. Clearly, as Cain is shown towering over Abel with one hand clenching a weapon raised above his head and the other hand compressing the neck of the brother the weapon will surely come down upon, he represents malevolent impulses, enmity, deep-seated bitterness, and ill will. And Abel, his face filled with distress and suffering as he is forcefully confined to the ground at the hands of his belligerent brother, represents sorrow, anguish, despair.
In my opinion, the artist captured the story in all its meaning fairly well. If I had to produce for you the artists’ limitations I would surely have to make one up because I believe the photo depicts Genesis’ Abel and Cain accurately to the core and gave inspiring significance and meaning to it.
Scarlatti, commonly known as the father of Domenico (a gifted composer of the generation to come), was recognized for his exceptional ability to create pieces for his singers and instrumentalists fostering depth and intellectual expansion. His career really gained momentum in the early sixteenth century. Along his way of becoming an international sensation, Scarlatti composed an oratorio based on the biblical story of Genesis. He titled it “Il Primo Omicidio” otherwise known as “The First Homicide.” The photo above is “a detail from the ‘Ghent Altarpiece’ and the pivotal moment between Cain and Abel” wherein Cain is the world’s first known murderer and Abel is the first known to be murdered.
As the story goes, Eve first gives birth to Cain, and later gives birth to Abel. Abel became a shepherd. Cain became a farmer. Abel offered God a lamb. Cain offered God crops. Abel was favored in Gods eyes. Envious of his brother’s distinctiveness and importance in the eyes of God, Cain led his brother out to the fields and slayed him. Scarlatti’s oratorio is described as being equipped with “accompaniments to capture temperaments that ranged from fierce hostility to heartbreaking pain.” And this “Ghent altarpiece”, or panel painting, used in the performance is an artwork depicting exactly that. Clearly, as Cain is shown towering over Abel with one hand clenching a weapon raised above his head and the other hand compressing the neck of the brother the weapon will surely come down upon, he represents malevolent impulses, enmity, deep-seated bitterness, and ill will. And Abel, his face filled with distress and suffering as he is forcefully confined to the ground at the hands of his belligerent brother, represents sorrow, anguish, despair.
In my opinion, the artist captured the story in all its meaning fairly well. If I had to produce for you the artists’ limitations I would surely have to make one up because I believe the photo depicts Genesis’ Abel and Cain accurately to the core and gave inspiring significance and meaning to it.
Your words?
ReplyDeleteYes mamm.
ReplyDelete