I appreciate the audio is imperfect in this one. Will get a proper microphone. However: in the interests of pushing this out in a timely manager I decided rough-and-ready was better than nothing. Hope you can enjoy!
Great post. I think many of the same remarks can be applied to opera. It's an art form that requires a very high level of civilization to support. People who can sing and act Wagner's Ring Cycle are like thoroughbred horses. They are outstanding at their jobs, but the extreme technical demands of their work mean that they can't really do much else.
I agree with this but it makes me very sad. There are some things of tremendous beauty that I think we can preserve - even nurture and grow - as the wider civilization declines around us.
Unfortunately I do not think that ballet is one of these things (with the possible exception of ballet within Russia). Too much training and infrastructure necessary: it is an art for high civilization.
This may not be a relevant comment at all, but while reading your essay, the first thing that came to my mind was a documentary called First Position on a streaming platform. The film makers followed six young artists from all over the world each aspiring to earn a position with the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. They came from all economic backgrounds, from multiple cultures.
What I’m trying to say is each of these highest of art forms continually require new performers and it’s been my observation over many years that young artists with an inexplicable love for these very old and classical art forms continue to emerge from everywhere, each with a unique and driving and unstoppable passion to perfect that art. Whether or not they’ve been immersed in it because of their background at all. My daughter went to school in a low performing urban school district in the south. Fortunately, there were select schools with orchestras and she thrived playing the violin, so she attended those schools. One day, I went to pick her up from orchestra and from down the hall, I heard a beautiful violin solo. I assumed it was one of the teachers. It was in fact, a ninth grade girl from a working class family. She just about had to be drug out of the rehearsal room daily in order to for maintenance to close up. That girl got a scholarship to Juilliard and is playing in a major orchestra today. Where did she get that love of classical music? That drive to play it? Certainly not in her home or community in which we lived.
And will that draw the needed audiences to allow the arts to thrive? I don’t know, but I do believe the artists will be there to perform and that form will not die.
There are technically skilled dancers that continue to be trained every year. The problem, unfortunately, is that the soul of ballet is nonetheless being eroded.
The fact that the large ballet companies rely on so many dancers who have been trained abroad hints at the problem: ballet is not a meaningful part of our culture any more (because we don't really have a high culture any more at all). There's no intellectual or social context in which to develop new dances that ballet is a meaningful medium for, so there's deep stagnation in repertoires. And ballet becomes more and more irrelevant to wider society each year as well.
So the basic mechanics are there but it's quite soulless.
While we were NOT impressed by it: shows like "bpm" at the Czech National Theatre are proof that ballet can be contemporary and interesting to the crowds. But of course... we need more of new creations, ideally in a more classical setting.
Thanks for your reply. I think I get what you’re saying. Knowing nothing about the evolution of the dance, it is a foreign, but very interesting and new way for me to see it. Thanks Johann.
Agree and disagree. I think ballet can and should be lauded and supported by a hobnob of snobs but such often can and should entertain a kettle of commoners as well.
Just as Shakespeare has enough pratfalls to keep the groundings guffawing, moral lessons to keep the clergy happy and unearned praise of the nobility to keep them nodding. ballets can be found containing more than enough sex and h gratuitous violence to satisfy even the most hardened gamer today.
Anyone is certainly free to enjoy the ballet - but if directors are relying on populations that have had no historic interest in the art to be their future audience, they're in for a bad time
There is a neoclassical opera house in my city, built in 1908. I went there many times. And many times there were a lot of POC children with a NGO "teacher". The children would be talking loud and making the experience annoying for everyone who paid a large buck to be there. The old money elites of this country are obessed with enlightening the masses with their sophisticated tastes, and it never ever works. The opposite ends up happening. Their offspring become African Magic Enthusiasts and Favela music worshippers. White people in my country are being reverse-colonized with each generation.
If your sophisticated tastes are losing to a bunch of african drummers dacing half naked you'd might consider changing your approach no?
I don’t live in Europe currently, although I have in the past and am angling for another expat assignment somewhere in Western Europe. A Becoming Noble ballet excursion would be fantastic, as I don’t know much about the art form and would appreciate learning more about it.
This is awesome! Thanks for this essay. What would you think about jazz as an art form?
I was trying to ask the same questions you used here but instead of ballet use the art form of jazz.
Jazz music is about groove and dance, that’s the African element. Sophisticated harmony and melody, ornamentation and theme development, that’s the European element, think about Bach and the way he would ornament a melody, and Debussy or Ravel with the dream like, complex harmonies.
All of this manifested in an improvised, almost conversation-like way. This music is improvised, almost created in the moment.
This can be seen as a yearning for a transformational conversation taking a musical form. A conversation that is oriented towards the truth, towards beauty itself. The sophistication of harmony and the ornamentation of melody can be seen as a re-presentation of the fractal reality of the world (this ornamented lines are like little musical pieces by themselves, it’s like songs within songs, a beautiful fractal).
The dancing element makes it more participative, more incarnated. The improvised aspect makes it an adventure, a quest for unexpected, beautiful, joyful, or even funny moments.
In a sense also represents how individual freedom plays a role in a small group, and how when everyone is oriented towards the same beauty-searching ethos, the music will transcend each individual towards something higher.
I am trying to think about which mythical being is embodied in this art form. Also having in mind that this music was developed in bars, and bohemian spaces, like the edge of culture in a sense.
Of course there are many styles of jazz and many forms. Some of them would forget about the dancing element. Which is what is happening with modern jazz and all the odd-meter explorations. Also you can find some extreme forms of improvisation where there is not a main theme that sets up the mood for the piece. And it can become more like a nonsensical expression for the listener. It’s like the fetishization of some elements.
I would love to hear what you think about this. Thanks for your essay!!
I believe great art must contain contradiction. For me it must have a recognition of sorrows that can never be healed and the dual nature of time. This is timeless and why the best art is too. In my choice of words, I call that soul.
That is on my list as soon as I stumble about a good production. The kids are quite young (8 and younger), but used to attending opera and classical concerts. They have seen the Nutcracker only on screen so far.
I appreciate the audio is imperfect in this one. Will get a proper microphone. However: in the interests of pushing this out in a timely manager I decided rough-and-ready was better than nothing. Hope you can enjoy!
It is not the quality of the audio that matters, but what is said. Thank you for this article.
Thanks Polymarkos
Great post. I think many of the same remarks can be applied to opera. It's an art form that requires a very high level of civilization to support. People who can sing and act Wagner's Ring Cycle are like thoroughbred horses. They are outstanding at their jobs, but the extreme technical demands of their work mean that they can't really do much else.
I agree with this but it makes me very sad. There are some things of tremendous beauty that I think we can preserve - even nurture and grow - as the wider civilization declines around us.
Unfortunately I do not think that ballet is one of these things (with the possible exception of ballet within Russia). Too much training and infrastructure necessary: it is an art for high civilization.
At the same time, I think it's a wonderful artistic challenge. Beautiful things can come from minimalism and restraint --
https://fatrabbitiron.substack.com/p/secede-universal-music
This may not be a relevant comment at all, but while reading your essay, the first thing that came to my mind was a documentary called First Position on a streaming platform. The film makers followed six young artists from all over the world each aspiring to earn a position with the most prestigious ballet companies in the world. They came from all economic backgrounds, from multiple cultures.
What I’m trying to say is each of these highest of art forms continually require new performers and it’s been my observation over many years that young artists with an inexplicable love for these very old and classical art forms continue to emerge from everywhere, each with a unique and driving and unstoppable passion to perfect that art. Whether or not they’ve been immersed in it because of their background at all. My daughter went to school in a low performing urban school district in the south. Fortunately, there were select schools with orchestras and she thrived playing the violin, so she attended those schools. One day, I went to pick her up from orchestra and from down the hall, I heard a beautiful violin solo. I assumed it was one of the teachers. It was in fact, a ninth grade girl from a working class family. She just about had to be drug out of the rehearsal room daily in order to for maintenance to close up. That girl got a scholarship to Juilliard and is playing in a major orchestra today. Where did she get that love of classical music? That drive to play it? Certainly not in her home or community in which we lived.
And will that draw the needed audiences to allow the arts to thrive? I don’t know, but I do believe the artists will be there to perform and that form will not die.
There are technically skilled dancers that continue to be trained every year. The problem, unfortunately, is that the soul of ballet is nonetheless being eroded.
The fact that the large ballet companies rely on so many dancers who have been trained abroad hints at the problem: ballet is not a meaningful part of our culture any more (because we don't really have a high culture any more at all). There's no intellectual or social context in which to develop new dances that ballet is a meaningful medium for, so there's deep stagnation in repertoires. And ballet becomes more and more irrelevant to wider society each year as well.
So the basic mechanics are there but it's quite soulless.
While we were NOT impressed by it: shows like "bpm" at the Czech National Theatre are proof that ballet can be contemporary and interesting to the crowds. But of course... we need more of new creations, ideally in a more classical setting.
Thanks for your reply. I think I get what you’re saying. Knowing nothing about the evolution of the dance, it is a foreign, but very interesting and new way for me to see it. Thanks Johann.
Agree and disagree. I think ballet can and should be lauded and supported by a hobnob of snobs but such often can and should entertain a kettle of commoners as well.
Just as Shakespeare has enough pratfalls to keep the groundings guffawing, moral lessons to keep the clergy happy and unearned praise of the nobility to keep them nodding. ballets can be found containing more than enough sex and h gratuitous violence to satisfy even the most hardened gamer today.
Anyone is certainly free to enjoy the ballet - but if directors are relying on populations that have had no historic interest in the art to be their future audience, they're in for a bad time
Wow. This has hit its mark in my opinion!!!!!
Thank you Ann!
There is a neoclassical opera house in my city, built in 1908. I went there many times. And many times there were a lot of POC children with a NGO "teacher". The children would be talking loud and making the experience annoying for everyone who paid a large buck to be there. The old money elites of this country are obessed with enlightening the masses with their sophisticated tastes, and it never ever works. The opposite ends up happening. Their offspring become African Magic Enthusiasts and Favela music worshippers. White people in my country are being reverse-colonized with each generation.
If your sophisticated tastes are losing to a bunch of african drummers dacing half naked you'd might consider changing your approach no?
Your suggestion is excellent.
Thanks Rake
I don’t live in Europe currently, although I have in the past and am angling for another expat assignment somewhere in Western Europe. A Becoming Noble ballet excursion would be fantastic, as I don’t know much about the art form and would appreciate learning more about it.
Noted - thanks!
I've been posting some footage I like of the great dancers in Substack chat if you haven't already checked that out.
Neo, in her blog has a rather nice dance (ballet) archive; https://www.thenewneo.com/category/arts/dance/
This is awesome! Thanks for this essay. What would you think about jazz as an art form?
I was trying to ask the same questions you used here but instead of ballet use the art form of jazz.
Jazz music is about groove and dance, that’s the African element. Sophisticated harmony and melody, ornamentation and theme development, that’s the European element, think about Bach and the way he would ornament a melody, and Debussy or Ravel with the dream like, complex harmonies.
All of this manifested in an improvised, almost conversation-like way. This music is improvised, almost created in the moment.
This can be seen as a yearning for a transformational conversation taking a musical form. A conversation that is oriented towards the truth, towards beauty itself. The sophistication of harmony and the ornamentation of melody can be seen as a re-presentation of the fractal reality of the world (this ornamented lines are like little musical pieces by themselves, it’s like songs within songs, a beautiful fractal).
The dancing element makes it more participative, more incarnated. The improvised aspect makes it an adventure, a quest for unexpected, beautiful, joyful, or even funny moments.
In a sense also represents how individual freedom plays a role in a small group, and how when everyone is oriented towards the same beauty-searching ethos, the music will transcend each individual towards something higher.
I am trying to think about which mythical being is embodied in this art form. Also having in mind that this music was developed in bars, and bohemian spaces, like the edge of culture in a sense.
Of course there are many styles of jazz and many forms. Some of them would forget about the dancing element. Which is what is happening with modern jazz and all the odd-meter explorations. Also you can find some extreme forms of improvisation where there is not a main theme that sets up the mood for the piece. And it can become more like a nonsensical expression for the listener. It’s like the fetishization of some elements.
I would love to hear what you think about this. Thanks for your essay!!
I don't know enough about jazz to make a ruling, but I enjoyed your thoughts!
Also this is an Afro-American art form. There is a blues aspect on it! Where the sorrows are expressed.
Wonderful! Love your whole outlook. Thanks for quoting my hero, the great Oswald Spengler.
Thank you! And yes - he's been a tremendous intellectual influence on me too.
I believe great art must contain contradiction. For me it must have a recognition of sorrows that can never be healed and the dual nature of time. This is timeless and why the best art is too. In my choice of words, I call that soul.
We‘d be interested as a family of 4! A recent visit to a rather „modernistic“ performance was disappointing, do let’s try something better.
Not sure how old your kids are - it's cliche but taking young children to a decent production of the Nutcracker is always a good time
That is on my list as soon as I stumble about a good production. The kids are quite young (8 and younger), but used to attending opera and classical concerts. They have seen the Nutcracker only on screen so far.
Yes. We would join you on a ballet excursion!!!