I Mean… It’s Not My Favorite Piece, But…

What piece of art had the greatest effect on you? There are no wrong answers, I suppose-- only misinterpretations of the question. I very specifically did not ask you what your favorite piece of art was. I want you to really think about what you've found most evocative. There's a real distinction, and depending on the person answering the question it can be very subtle or as different as East is from West. 

For instance, the fifth symphony of Shostakovich, while brilliant and thrilling, is not meant to be enjoyed. While living under the rule of Stalin, Russian composers were forced to write nationalistic music; this particular symphony is meant to be completely over-the-top so as to be slyly satirical. Artists openly and bitterly wept at the premier. Shostakovich famously said he meant for it to feel as though the listener were being beaten with a stick and told "Your business is rejoicing!!"

For instance, the fifth symphony of Shostakovich, while brilliant and thrilling, is not meant to be enjoyed. While living under the rule of Stalin, Russian composers were forced to write nationalistic music; this particular symphony is meant to be completely over-the-top so as to be slyly satirical. Artists openly and bitterly wept at the premier. Shostakovich famously said he meant for it to feel as though the listener were being beaten with a stick and told "Your business is rejoicing!!"

The visual arts are replete with nay-sayers power-walking through installations chortling how "Anybody could paint that..." and otherwise completely missing the point. I would argue that in those instances, the curmudgeons themselves actually become part of the work by actively participating in the surface-level-only interpretation. That's seriously evocative. 

Personally, I nearly crashed my car the first time I listened to Allegri's Miserere. I wouldn't call it my favorite piece, but I don't listen to it while driving anymore. Likewise, Handel's Hallelujah isn't even in my top 20 choral settings, but it's one of the only ones I can't sing all the way through without choking up. It's got a raw power that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that viable art is more than happy or sad. It's all well and good during a slump to listen to music that cheers you up, but I hope that you also take the time to listen to music (or experience other art) that will help you feel the way you do feel-- because that feeling is valid.