Monday, April 18, 2005

Do What Is Beautiful

This weekend Kevin’s parents were in town to attend two of his concerts. He sang Carmina Burana … twice. As always, his chorale does a magnificent job. For those of you unfamiliar with Carmina, it’s a series of pagan poems written in the 12th Century. One “new” thing was having ballet dancers appear on stage sporadically to highlight some of the dramatic moments of the piece. The conductor also arranged for subtitling for the first time. The text of Carmina, unlike the other (sacred) pieces sung by the chorale, was somewhat crude in various places. But the music itself was incredibly moving and completely inspiring.

Kevin’s mom remarked, after the first concert, that she is glad that Kevin can “not only do what is right and good, but also what is beautiful” by engaging in the Arts. I thought that was a very rousing insight. After all … life would be so bland and dull without the color and spice of art. God not only gives us beauty but also enables us to do beautifully.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One does not need "art" to add color and spice to life if there are things of beauty that do the job just fine. Keep that in mind.

Amy K said...

Anonymous:

This all can boil down to a game of semantics - how you define things.

According to dictionary.com, art is: "The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty."

Beautiful things ARE art - regardless of whether they're man-made or God made. I'm grateful for an opportunity here on earth to create beauty (or perform art, whichever way you want to call it).

It may not be "necessary" to arrange flowers (i.e., create art) when you can simply enjoy the rose bush already growing outside but I personally relish the chance to create beauty ... while, at the same time, enjoying that which God has created, too. Creating beauty is another way we can imitate and reflect God. Afterall, we are made in His image. I think it pleases Him when we are like Him. Indeed scripture tells us to be "imitators of God." Hopefully I will be like God in my love for others, my desire for purity, my desire to create beauty ("art"), etc.

Yes, you and I may disagree on what is "art" (or what is "beautiful") - lots of people disagree on that - but that doesn't mean that art is not significant. And the fact that you acknowledge that "things of beauty" are desired means that you value "art" too.

Anonymous said...

Rousing?!

Amy K said...

Um, yeah, "rousing." Haven't you ever been roused?

Gee, I didn't realize today's post would be so controversial!

Anonymous said...

Yes, but not by my mother-in-law.

Nica said...

I love Carmina Burana, it was a "dad and me" thing. I found it on CD a few years ago, and dad and I were both surprised that it was pagan poems, but we still listen to it. ;) Carl Orff was an amazing composer.
Joel and I will have to make a date of it sometime and come up to Sac. to hear Kevin's chorale.

VLC