So, here I will post about the book Spanish writer Safon Carlos Ruiz. Angel game. For having read this mystery book several times, I did not calm down and climbed to read about it on the Internet. And I did not find answers there, only chaotic comparisons and impressions of readers. And not a single serious and detailed commentary. I really hope this book wins someone else's heart. I don't know how long I will write a review. I will write it slowly.
Repost, links to materials are allowed. Copying and appropriation is punished terribly. I'm serious.
I'll start with an introduction. I chose the book by accident. The name of the author did not say anything, as did the cover. The name stuck. I'm paranoid about angels and demons.
It was later that I learned that this novel by the Spanish writer was translated into several languages.
Let's get down to the simplest thing - negative reviews about the book. Two people will read one work, and one will consider it a masterpiece, and the second - garbage. I saw reviews where people said that the book was boring and uninteresting. Well, yes, on the surface of the detective, well, yes, a lot of deaths. And who will you surprise with this in our time? Vampiressa was not remembered for anything distinctive. Stephenie Meyer has vampires and they fly, and they show what kind of fights. And here I think the main mistake is hidden. People in our 21st century are used to ENTERTAINMENT, not MEANING. This book has a lot of the second and no first. There is a lot to think about here. I think this book will appeal primarily to those who are able to appreciate and love the depth in the works. There is a film by Adrian Lyne "Jacob's Ladder" in 1990. How many meanings do you see in it? And the game of the angel is also designed for several meanings.
Comparison. The book was instantly put on a par with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Indeed, here and there a detective, a murderer, and behind all this action, issues of religion and the Bible are being resolved. I also saw a comparison with the movie The Devil's Advocate. General issues. The insanity of the protagonist's beloved is similar.
Well then, let's continue this series. Movie Konstantin. A clear division into three worlds. The earthly world, the world of angels and goodness and hell, the world of demons, the world of evil. Zotov still comes to mind. Apocalypse. Welcome. The book also touches on the biblical story of the end of the world. And God and the Devil are shown, bible templates are mocked a little and the boundaries of good and evil are blurred. At the same time, I would separate the Angel Game from them by displaying evil. GG Martin cannot be interpreted unambiguously as evil or good. Rather, he looks like Woland from Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Remember what they say there? I am part of that force that always wants evil and always does good. This quote is the point. And those who immediately compared the Angel's Game with the Master and Margarita are right. And here and there the question of the real skill of the writer, the questions of courage and honor are being decided. I will not be unfounded. Let's think. If we decide that all the murders were committed by Martin, did he save Isabelle from the rapists? Saved. Did Isabell help when she, succumbing to dreams, ran away from home? Helped. That's evil for you. With a dash of goodness. Do you remember the theme of betrayal in The Master and Margarita? This moment is also present in the Game.
And I would also stretch the thread to the novel "The Phantom of the Opera". And it's not pushing me spanish name Christina. Both heroines are selfless in love. And guess how Eric sees Christine? Worships her like an angel. The question of true art in opera is mirrored in Martin's writing. And it's up to you to decide who Martin is an evil genius, like Eric, or a noble one, like Raul.
After reading the novel, I seemed to freeze in front of a cliff. And ... who killed everyone, Corelli or Martin? And then I remembered something similar. There was an old movie "Angel Heart" with Mickey Rourke. There, the detective conducted investigations, as a result, he himself turned out to be the killer. But Lucifer guided him. I think that David also killed all those involved in the case under the suggestion of Corelli. Read the synopsis for the book. Three secrets. Three riddles. The secret of David - a young journalist who managed to get away from the punishing sword of fate. And I would add - the sword of fate and justice. This is another stone on the scale of Martin's guilt.
Hmm, I would still argue with the opinion that Corelli is God's messenger. And heaven needs a book. I stand on the position that everything is not so. Let's look at the title. Angel game. Who is the angel? We immediately dismiss David Martin. He is still human. Let it be unusual. With some sixth sense, he was able to describe Chloe. That is, "saw" a vampire in everyday life. Andreas Corelli? Yes. Recall how Martin first noted the unnaturalness of movements and strange eyes. And a lot of creepy and unpleasant details. Well, think, ladies and gentlemen, is God's messenger and one of his appearance and grin inspires fear in David. Is that an angel from the bible? Suppose our writer is impressionable and nerves to hell. Let's ignore this inconsistency. And then we learn that there were still predecessors to write a BOOK to order. And who? A drug addict who died in a fire who tried to burn his book. An ex-lawyer turned writer who didn't get along with his wife. His son died. And then he fell into mysticism, entangled with a singer and a prostitute. According to the Bible, fortune-telling, clairvoyants are blasphemy and it is a sin to go to them))) And as it turns out, Marlaska is a murderer. And Marlasky's book is a poem about death and the seven names of Lucifer. Somehow very strange candidates for a new religion, ne? And Martin, who wrote the City of the Damned? Where is piety and piety? What a strange choice for a divine messenger? I do not agree with the opinion that it was an angel of God. This is a fallen angel. In other words, Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. Here perishing themselves choose word for Evil. Well, let's stretch it, supposedly a kind angel gives the last chance to the poor fellows. AND? Why hasn't the book been written yet? Where is the religious inspiration and why are there only deaths around? Another argument in favor of the customer from the dark forces. Wealth and death are in the spirit of darkness, not light. It is absolutely ridiculous who considers Corelli an angel of light. Have you read his sermons? Who is nature for him? A mother who devours her children!! Not a miracle of God, but a merciless, insensitive killer. People, ay, THINK!!! The word angel has many meanings. You should not mistake him for a biblical angel, the embodiment of kindness and holiness. Although, of course, I can get a counter objection. There were also punishing angels in the Bible. Why can't Corelli be him?
The concept of an angel harmoniously flows into my theory. Let's look at how the word angel is mentioned in the novel.
- page 1. The residence of the publishing house was in the cemetery, surrounded by angels and crosses;
- Corelli's business card with an image of an angel, a brooch on his jacket, stamps on letters, a figurine on his car. Everywhere an angel;
- black wings over the city;
- a black spider with a white spot in the form of spread wings in Martin's dream, when death from cancer left his body;
- the angel in the picture in the Corelli house;
- death - a white angel with the eyes of a snake from the book of Marlaska;
- marble sculpture a mournful angel near Vidal's grave in Martin's dream;
- a statue of Mercury in the city, reminiscent of an angel on a rolls-royce. I quote the wiki: Hermes or Mercury is the god of trade, profit, rationality, dexterity, trickery, deceit, theft and eloquence, giving wealth and income in trade, the god of athletes]. Patron of heralds, ambassadors, shepherds and travelers; patron of magic, alchemy and astrology. Messenger of the gods and guide of the souls of the dead (hence the nickname Psychopomp - guide of souls) to the underworld of Hades;
- a mausoleum with angels - a meeting point in the cemetery chosen by Corelli;
- a cloud of darkness spread its wings and enveloped Christina in Martin's dream. He then dreamed of her death.
I think there are enough examples. In any case, the angel is primarily associated with death. Wings are also important in the novel. Especially significant for the image of the city. Progress and the city of Safon does not favor. And now what happens, before us is the angel of death ?! I'm sure yes
Why is the book called Angel's Game. It seems to me that the fallen angel is playing with Martin, he is like a shadow standing behind him. It's both a killing game and a dialogue game. In my opinion, Corelli lured David into his web and conveyed his views to him. Corelli plays an elegant game with his opponent. If you like, this is a game with the reader. I once saw a comparison of a book with a black spider, which draws the reader in. I will say that this is 100% true. I have read the book three times and each time it gets deeper and deeper. This is not a book that you read once and don't want to read again.
It is very curious to hear evidence of the reverse theory. Who will consider Martin innocent. People write.
For some reason, no one has tried to define the genre of the Angel Game. Definitely a mystical detective. But this is just a frame for a mirror. And if you look inside, then there will be several mirrors looking at you. The detective is the frame for the book, the backbone of a kind. And the essence is hidden in the mirrors.
Only one person called the novel modern gothic. No explanation as to why he chose to do so. I wouldn't agree. Yes, there are features, with a stretch you can define the novel and so. But that's not the point here. I dug into the definition. The gothic novel is characterized by horror, a mystical atmosphere and an inexplicable state of anxiety. Attributes of the novel: the ruins, the ruins of the castle, ghosts and stuff like that. Yes, GG lives in a tower house. Yes, there is a lot of mysticism and anxiety from the presence of Corelli. But is this the writer's goal in itself? Bring on the horror? No. This is for someone else. To point to biblical and philosophical meaning. Andreas Corelli is evil, well, or good, as you like, in any case, his essence is inhuman. Where is the horror in the novel? They are not here at all. There is no main element of Gothic. Feeling inconsistent? Hmm, from everything I've read, the prime example of a gothic novel is James Herbert's Crickley Hall Mystery. There you are pure water gothic novel. Ha, how is this a modern gothic novel? Nonsense. He's either gothic or not. There is no such thing as modern and old. Yes, call the Game a philosophical novel, yes, religious, yes, existential. And you can't go wrong. But gothic ... hardly. The definition of mystical detective is much more appropriate.
I think the genre is enough. For those who are interested, look for yourself and decide. Much more curious for me, why was this book actually written, what is it about? Naturally, we write when we want to pour out our thoughts and feelings. At the risk of sketching a few ideas that I found in the book. I’ll tell you right away, do not throw slippers. These are just my guesses. But after all, no one has expressed a single thought on the Internet, so I'm the first. And how it turned out, you be the judge.
Safon gloomily portrays Barcelona. The city appears not blindingly beautiful and warm colors, heavy postwar period, here are poor houses, miserable quarters. Progress is closely connected with the image of the city: radio, telephone, cars. The author does not like the novelties that are gaining popularity. There is a hint of the beginning disunity of people because of this. The same phone alienates people from each other
At a turning point, the world is in dire need of faith, and here lies a threat to people. What will she become? It can be anything, any idea, but it can come from both evil and good. It seems to me that Andreas Corelli sought from the side of Evil to create a new religion, a faith
Safon showed uniquely good and evil: cunningly and frighteningly ambiguous. You won't know right away where it is. And this is the danger and warning against the substitution of these concepts. I see it in two lines, the global, philosophical Corelli-Martin and the petty, everyday Christina-Vidal. From the first, everything is clear, from the second I will explain - Christina, in the name of kindness and gratitude, marries Don Pedro, as a result, only brings him suffering
Betrayal. The most ancient betrayal is the betrayal of Judas. Close disciple, friend of his teacher, Jesus Christ. This line is mirrored in the line of Pedro Vidal - David Martin
Love is a very unhappy thing. In the novel, only one couple is awarded great love. But again, sad. Martin's parents: mother left her husband and son. Christina's parents: her father constantly forgave forgiveness before his wife's death. Isabelle and Sempere: I do not see love from Isabelle, more like non-reciprocal love. Pedro - Cristina, painful unrequited love. Alicia and Diego Marlaschi: endless quarrels, unhappy family life
True art and mediocrity, one cannot ruin extraordinary talent for petty things. One must have courage and perseverance, so as not to lose sublimity. Martin's difficult path of hard labor is an example of this.
Safon pays special attention to books. With endless love and trepidation describes the attitude towards them. The book is a piece of the author's soul. And the Cemetery of Forgotten Books is something amazing, I have never seen anything like it.
As a result, according to the attitude of the book, a very gloomy view of the writer emerges. Hard times, hopeless city life, even love - a great feeling, sung for centuries by poets and writers, does not give consolation. In my favorite movie, The Fifth Element, Leela asks, "Why save a life when you're destroying it?" Remember the answer? "Love. Love is worth saving." And then it remains only to cling to salvation. Reread the final lines. Penetrates the soul. There is no light and happy feeling. David is doomed to eternal life, Christina to a short mortal existence. The end is sad
PS While sketched approximately. There will be time, I will dig into the name of David Martin, I will add something else if I wish. If anyone joins in the conversation, I'll be happy to talk.
If you are interested in the author, then he has the Shadow of the Wind. They say it should be read after the Angel Game. I can't say enough about this book, I haven't received it yet. I'll take September nights. It's like a standalone novel.
link to the VKontakte group. I did not find anything interesting for myself. But a lot of photos of the writer
20Painting 27.12.2015
My dear readers, there is so much fuss on New Year's Eve. And if you want to take a break from such worries, I invite you to get in the mood. The mood will be sincere, I hope that it is. We will look at the amazing, deep, sensual works of the artist Anzhelika Privalikhina, which I chose for the design and cover of our winter issue of the Aromas of Happiness magazine Soul of Winter.
I'll start with a little background. Perhaps this will be of interest to you too. Do you know how I start working on a magazine every time? With his idea and image. And they appear along with the atmosphere from the paintings of artists. Through them thoughts and moods come for the word of the editor, and the whole magazine is collected. This search develops in different ways. Sometimes everyone comes at once. And sometimes I’m looking for, looking for, and as I say: “That’s something not right ...”
And this time I reviewed a huge number of paintings by artists on winter theme. Lots of great work, but I haven't seen them in a magazine. And suddenly, quite by accident, I saw the work of Angelica Privalikhina. And she immediately said: “This is exactly what I was looking for.” And how lucky I am that I found Angelica, and she agreed and expressed her great joy that her work will be presented in our magazine.
And after such a lyrical introduction, I invite you to enjoy sensuality along with the paintings of the artist. And again I want a special atmosphere. Let's watch them with music. If it distracts someone, just don't post it. Sounds. Winter emotions composition. I also took it to voice the words of the editor.
Artist Anzhelika Privalikhina. World of Special Feelings
It was from this picture, which is called "Rhapsody", that my acquaintance with the artist began. It was in her that I saw what was in tune with my mood and state of mind, and I realized that these works would be in our magazine.
The soul, like a bird from a cage, is torn -
Strives for the light, for the sky...
The soul, like a song, flows in happiness;
The soul is sad, if in sadness itself.
Open the cage - give freedom!
Feel the fullness of happiness!
Know your soul's nature!
Love comprehend beauty!
And the world will open differently
The former veil will fall
And the task becomes clear
Why the Earth was created for us ...
Irina Artlis
Rhapsody
Here is what the artist herself says about her work: “Beauty does not touch me ... I am interested not just in a plot, a beautiful image or form, I am touched by the soul, inner awe, special feelings that I transfer to canvas through paint. Before I see the image of the hero, the conceived plot, I try to see its inner content, its spiritual side, contemplate it with my eyes, feel it with my heart. How does the internal dialogue take place? special relationship between the hero and the author. What is still life? These are my desires. I want the sky and the sea, I paint vessels and shells, I want warmth and love, I paint flowers ... I don’t write contemporaries yet, maybe because I myself live in modern world and I know all the needs of the soul and being of man today, but people of past centuries are interesting to me.
Flowers ..., roses ... - this is my gratitude to all the admirers of my work. Thanks!" — Angelica Privalikhina
A little about Angelica herself. Even as a child, having moved with her parents from the Tula region to Siberia, she spent hours sitting at the window, sketching in her diary what she saw on the street. But not only and not so much the facts were reflected in her drawings. Rather, they showed shades of the mood of the girl herself, her parents and other people. This ability to feel and see everything led Angelica first to a school for gifted children in the field of art, then to an art school.
Her original elementary school art curriculum has been published as a monograph and is used as the basis for art education in elementary schools in Siberia. Now Angelica Privalikhina lives in St. Petersburg.
She has many awards in the field of art, participates in exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Many of her works adorn museums and private collections around the world.
What is it that takes the soul of the work of this wonderful artist? Probably, first of all, the image of the beauty of the world, passed through the heart and soul and set out on canvases. However, now you will see everything for yourself ... Let's continue our acquaintance with the work of the artist.
In the transparent spaces of the Ether,
Above the twilight of the world below,
Above the noise of a forgotten blizzard,
Two light spirits flew.
They moved away from the earth
And the stars laughed a little audibly,
And from Heaven they saw
Behind the distances new distances.
And little by little they subsided
Striving for the unchanging God,
And heard a new echo
Another barely audible laugh.
No one noticed them from the Earth,
But the evening twilight was bright,
At the same time as they are above the Earth
They flew in the mist.
No one saw them from Earth
But the good evil did not offend,
The moment they saw
Behind the distances new distances.
Konstantin Balmont
Nocturne of angels
What are these angels singing about? What kind of music flows from the thin strings of the soul? Only God knows about it... And also our hearts. Who really listen...
And here is how Anya Kutyavina, the host of our section, was inspired by the works of the artist.
Here the angels play for the soul...
Violin, saxophone and clarinet.
Having absorbed all the dreams of last year's summer,
And the tears that rang out in the silence...
Here the angels play about me.
About how important it is to live, love and believe,
And yet find the door to the heart,
To dream about the main thing - about spring ...
Here the angels play about everything
What hurts, warms, touches, catches,
That my heart warms
About what gives meaning day after day ...
And now, under the eternal firmament of years
Those divine sounds flow
As if someone's careful hands
They rock me and keep me from troubles ...
White roses and lemon.
Silence is magical...
You quietly sing a lullaby again
And she became beautiful, as before. Her eyes warmed up.
The moon illuminates the cradle.
You can't from this moonlit cradle.
You quietly sing the lullaby again.
I am happy: and again I understand how eternal all this is.
I know: a child to grow up, this song to sound.
I know that the radiance of the moonlight is eternal.
A mother's face will always be beautiful,
Mother's love will be full of unselfishness,
How will the cool distant heights be,
How green the grass and leaves will be in spring.
Kaisyn Kuliev
My joy
The happiness of being a mother is not just joy that overwhelms the heart. This is huge world that opens with your baby's first breath. A world that is not only great and beautiful, but also divinely generous to us every day, hour and moment. If only because right now you can press a dear and close little man to your heart ...
Do you hear how silence smells?
Look how delicious it smells!
There is such skillful calm in his movements,
There is so much sweet sadness in his smile,
That she wants to echo dumbness.
Do you see how silence smells?
Listen to the silent hues...
In the language of peace, peace itself
Removes foam from silence for you, -
Now you know how silence smells...
Terenty Travnik
Melody of silence
I wonder what your silence sounds like? What does it taste, smell, color? How important is it to know the answers to these questions...
red ribbon
Already at the end of the working day,
And at the end of the fuss
Today I am very tired
And I know you're tired too.
Let's exhale the tiredness
And take a deep breath again
And all that's left today
Fill with light and warmth.
Spread like wings, shoulders
And fly to the end of the world
And may this evening be wonderful
Will do whatever we want.
Planida Natalia
Warm evening
After the rain
My dear readers, I sincerely wish all of us warm days and evenings filled with love and tenderness of loved ones and relatives. Smiles, sun and light, which the artist Anzhelika Privalikhina so generously shared with us. I sincerely thank her for such a wonderful gift, for our acquaintance and communication ... and I never tire of thanking fate for giving me such amazing acquaintances and meetings.
Website of the artist Anzhelika Privalikhina
And finally, I invite you to watch the video material with the paintings of the artist.
My dear readers, this is the atmosphere that permeated our winter issue of the magazine “Fragrances of Happiness”, which I called “The Soul of Winter”. It has a lot of useful and sincere for the whole family. And a lot of music. If you have not read it yet, are not familiar to everyone, subscribe to it and the magazine will be sent to your mail for free. I really want as many people as possible to know about our magazine, to be filled spiritually and sincerely. Winter, the soul and wings of a butterfly… let them touch the hearts of each of you.
get the magazine for free
Our free gifts for you
our gifts for you
Happiness to you, my dears, a wonderful New Year's mood and warmth!
see also
20 comments
4APK
06 Mar 2016 at 3:53
Reply
orenkomp.ru
07 Feb 2016 at 18:29
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
On the eve of the most romantic and long-awaited holiday for all lovers - Valentine's Day, loving people prepare each other pleasant gifts and surprises. An occasion to show your soulmate your love and care is never superfluous. The pleasant atmosphere of romance and awe that prevails on the eve of this day is largely due to the abundance of two main symbols - the heart and the angel. And if with the heart, as a symbol of love and fidelity, everything is generally clear and simple, then the angel carries a much deeper and more interesting meaning.
Since angel sculptures in different incarnations are most often made of gypsum and used as interior decor or a souvenir, we will consider when this option is appropriate as a home decoration or gift.
What does gypsum angel mean?
The sculpture of an angel can be made in various forms and incarnations. Most often, this symbol is represented in the form of a baby with wings, which can pray, sleep, play musical instruments or soar carelessly in the clouds. Most often, such gypsum figurines are used as souvenirs or organically fit into the stucco decoration of the ceiling and walls. This type An angel is considered a symbol of a guardian angel who protects and patronizes throughout the life of every person without exception.
Another common option is the wedding angel. Such a sculpture depicts a pair of angels hugging, kissing, holding hands or looking into each other's eyes. This is perhaps one of the most powerful symbols of love and fidelity, which is designed to emphasize the purity and eternity of the sincere union of two hearts. A wedding angel made of plaster often becomes a decorative decoration for a bedroom or a small family nest.
The dancing angel, which is depicted standing on tiptoes and playing various musical instruments, is also very popular in plaster decoration. This symbol is considered a sign of prosperity, wealth and fun. Such sculptures often adorn solemn banquet halls, and in residential buildings they are used as a decor for a living room, family dining room or garden complex.
A photo:
More militant and deep divine symbols, such as the belligerent angel and the angel of death, deserve special attention. These symbols have gained incredible popularity in traditional European architecture, decorating the facades and interior compositions of castles, churches, temples and palaces.
Gypsum angels in world architecture
Gypsum angels adorn many architectural masterpieces around the world. At the same time, the image or plaster statue of an angel is far from always associated with religious motives and is used as decoration for temples and churches. Plaster figures of angels decorate the walls and ceilings of the most luxurious museums and architectural ensembles world - the Louvre and the Hermitage, St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican and the Central Church in Prague, the Numerous castles of Florence and the Cathedrals of Paris. All these famous museum and cultural centers amaze every visitor not only with the luxury and sophistication of decoration, but also with some sacred content and divine awe, which is also not least due to the abundance of the corresponding performance.
Gypsum angels of various semantic and decorative meanings today adorn and protect the greatest cities in the world:
- Guardian angel. Numerous plaster statues, including the hands of great sculptors, depicting a guardian angel, have a completely sacred meaning. Such sculptures have become a place of pilgrimage for tourists in Rome and St. Petersburg, Paris and Kyiv, Amsterdam and Rio De Janeiro. Most often, a sculpture depicting a guardian angel appears before the audience in the form of a pretty girl or young man with wings that spread their arms, depicting a blessing. Also, often the guardian angel is depicted holding a crucifix in his hands. Up-to-date and always impressive - artistic technique, combining an angel and a dove, which symbolizes peace and harmony. Sculptures of a guardian angel made of gypsum most often do not undergo additional decorative processing, leaving the natural snow-white color of natural gypsum, which emphasizes the purity and divine fullness of such decorative elements.
- warrior angel . One of the strongest symbols of divine providence is an angel who does not carry universal good, but takes up arms. hard to find Cultural Center, in which this decorative and symbolic device would not be used for both religious and decorative purposes. Most people associate this symbol with the real power of divine retribution, because a weapon in the hands of an angel primarily means punishment for sin or unworthy deeds. As an element of intimidation in the hands of an angel of retribution, there may be a sword or a spear. In addition, such figurines are often made not only from gypsum, but also from bronze or marble, which enhances the effect of monumentality and “heaviness” of the figure. Sometimes, in order to enhance the decorative effect, gypsum sculptures are subjected to metallization.
- Angel and demon. The struggle between good and evil and light and darkness is timeless and symbolizes the constant internal conflict that occurs in the soul of every person. Millions of people daily make their choice, torn between the arguments of conscience and heart. In addition, the Devil himself in religious and mythological meanings is a fallen angel, which accordingly enhances the symbolism and severity of this issue. Sculptors and artists around the world depict the struggle between an angel and a demon in various forms. It can be either a realistic picture of a fight between two creatures, or a visualization of the division of one person into divine and devilish energy.
- Angel of Death. Speaking of plaster sculptures of angels, one cannot fail to mention the numerous tomb statues depicting an angel of sorrow. This symbol is considered a tribute and reverence to the deceased and demonstrates that even if a person’s body is no longer with us, his soul and guardian angel will forever remain in the lives of his relatives and friends.
Unique project of angels of common hope
Speaking about angels, their symbolic basis and decorative value, I would like to mention one very interesting project Lehna Edwall. A talented sculptor has launched a unique project that makes people think about peace, life, love and the unity of all people on the planet. Her artistic and creative idea boils down to the fact that at the same time, in different corners planets were installed exactly the same sculpture of the Angels of the United Hope. The first 7 monuments were installed in Canada, Australia, Mali, Peru, Vanuatu, Hawaii and Russia.
A photo:
Angels of the United Hope, according to the author's intention, are faceless and practically do not have distinctive features which symbolizes the unity of all nations. If we connect with straight lines on the map the points where the first 7 sculptures are located, the viewer will see 42 points of their intersection, in which, over time, the author of the project also plans to install the Angels of United Hope. As a result, at the end of the action, a web of angels will envelop the earth, exuding warmth, purity and love and calling everyone to think about equality and respect.
Today, gypsum angels are a frequent decorative element in voluminous stucco compositions on walls and ceilings. Snow-white pure divine creatures, symbolizing goodness, love and peace, will become a worthy decoration for your home and long years will delight residents and guests of your home.
Music and musical instruments.
Their world is boundless, it is connected with our soul by countless threads. A lot of associations are born by the instruments themselves, which make joyful or sad, rebellious or peaceful music sound.
This article will focus on the symbolic meaning musical instruments, which they acquired in ancient times, and this gave certain "overtones" to many paintings by European artists of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and later.
Since time immemorial, it has been believed that love and music are inseparable. And musical instruments for centuries have been strongly associated with love, and certain instruments - with its various manifestations. Medieval astrology teaches that all musicians are "children of Venus". In many love scenes of Renaissance artists, musical instruments play important role. The clearest example is a cycle of paintings by Titian (originals and contemporary artist copies), generally referred to as "Venus with a Musician". These paintings date back to 1550-1585. Among them are "Venus with a lute player" and "Venus with an organist". Musical instruments certainly accompany the goddess in scenes depicting her with Mars. Here they are as much her attribute as weapons and armor are for her partner. Love "overtones" are clearly "listened" in Caravaggio's painting "Cupid the Victor", where the genealogy of Cupid - the son of Mars (the god of war) and Venus (the goddess of love) is symbolized by military armor, on the one hand, and a violin, a lute and an open music notebook- with another.
A clear division of stringed and wind instruments passed from antiquity to European culture, based on the difference in the meanings and symbolic meanings that these instruments were endowed with. Most frankly, this difference - and even, one might say, antagonism - manifested itself in ancient Greek myths about Apollo's competition with his hapless musician rivals. One myth, quite humorous, became widespread in painting as the "Judgment of Midas", the second is deeply tragic, known as the "Contest of Apollo with Marsyas". Usually these two myths are confused, not paying attention to subtle differences. I briefly mentioned this in the article "A Beautiful Union"; now there is a reason to dwell on this in more detail (a detailed discussion about the difference between these plots and the musical background of these myths will, I hope, be in one of the following articles - "The First musical tournament: literary evidence and artistic illustrations").
So, in the first myth, the god Pan appears with his indispensable attribute - a flute (Pan's flute, or syrinx). The comedy of this story is that an outside observer, King Midas, who did not agree with the verdict of Tmol, who gave primacy to Apollo, turned out to be the victim of the competition between Apollo the kifared and Pan the flutist. King Midas grew donkey ears. Ovid in his Metamorphoses says this:
Tmol decided that Pan should not equate his pipe with a cithara.
Court sacred mountain and the decision was approved
Everyone. And only one condemned, naming judgment
Unjust - Midas, and the Delian did not deign to endure,
To keep the human appearance stupid ears:
He pulled them out in length, filled them with whitening wool,
He did not order to stand firm and gave them the ability to move.
Other - like people. Only one part of him is defiled.
So Midas was adorned with the ears of a slow-moving donkey.
(Translated by S. Shervinsky)
It is noteworthy that Midas turned out to be endowed with the ears of a donkey: this animal was considered especially immune to music. That is why the “singing along” of the donkey to the ensemble of angels looks so funny (three of them with musical instruments, and two more sing; it seems that the third voice is really missing) in the touching scene “Nativity” (c. 1470) Italian artist 15th century Piero della Francesca. A donkey singing from the notes - one of the symbols of stupidity - was depicted on his engraving "Donkey at School" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder.
In the second myth, events develop much more dramatically. Marsyas, this already almost man, recognized by the gods as defeated, suffered a severe punishment - they flayed his skin and hung it in a grotto in Keleny, where she trembled every time at the sounds of the aulos, which Marsyas once played, and remained motionless when the lyre sounded or kithara of Apollo. Ovid puts the story more succinctly:
Another remembered about Satire, who,
The son of Latona in the game is defeated by the Palladin flute,
They were punished. "Why are you ripping me off me?" -
Says. "Oh, really," he shouts, "it was not worth knowing the flute!"
So he howled, but the skin was torn from his arms and shoulders ...
An interesting implementation of this plot is the diptych of the Italian artist Giovanni Palma (1544-1628), great-nephew of the famous Palma Vecchio [the Elder]) "Apollo and Marsyas". Its right side depicts the execution of Mapsias. Both instruments - the lyre da braccio and the flute - lie on the ground. A few words must be said about them. Despite the fact that since the time of Raphael, genuine ancient lyres and citharas have been known to artists and often reproduced (Raphael studied the shape of ancient instruments from ancient Roman sarcophagi), both Raphael himself and many other artists gave Apollo a modern stringed instrument - the viola da braccio , the forerunner of the violin. This is explained by the fact that, firstly, at that time the viola da braccio was considered the most noble instrument (namely, according to the viola da braccio, which is held in the hands of a young man in peasant costume in Bellini's painting "The Feast of the Gods", we learn that this is Apollo in disguise), and secondly, another name - the lyre da braccio - made it in the eyes of the people of that time a full-fledged substitute for the ancient lyre.
Marcia's instrument also requires explanation. In this picture, the artist mixed - deliberately or accidentally? are both myths. On the one hand, Apollo flays his rival, hence Apollo's rival is Marsyas; on the other hand, we see here the instrument of the vanquished: Pan's flute. In this case it is Pan. But the flute of Pan and the aulos, which the mythical Marsyas actually played, are two completely different instruments. The same Ovid tells in Metamorphoses) how the nymph Syringa, fleeing the persecution of Pan who fell in love with her, turned into a reed. The saddened Pan cut it off, made several pipes of different lengths and sealed them with wax. Pan called this instrument a syringa (or syrinx; remember Debussy's piece for flute solo, which is called "Syrinx"). He really was an instrument of the flute family. Avlos, the instrument of Mapsius, belonged to the reed family and was the prototype of the modern oboe. Unlike the syrinx, it had a sharp, piercing sound.
Thus, it can be stated that for the ancient Greeks, aulos was an instrument of passion, instincts; it symbolized the Dionysian beginning, while the lyre is the Allollonian beginning.
So, the ancient lyre was replaced by European artists with the contemporary lyre da braccio. A similar replacement took place with the Marsyas instrument. Often, instead of an unfamiliar aulos, artists gave him a bagpipe well known to them. It was a typical folk instrument European culture, although the bagpipe, according to Suetonius, was played by the Roman emperor Nero (in ancient era), and on the elegant musette (a French variety of bagpipes) - almost the entire French court. And yet, rural, pastoral and pastoral "overtones" in the symbolic sound of the bagpipes accompany the whole story. Western European painting. In many paintings on the plot of the "Adoration of the Shepherds" shepherds are depicted precisely with bagpipes. In Italy, from time immemorial, there has been a tradition to play all kinds of pipes, including bagpipes, before the images of the Mother of God and the baby during Christmas.
Pipes, flutes, pity - they all clearly point to the shepherd's theme. Jupiter instructs Mercury to kill the guard Argus, who guarded Io, who was turned into a cow by Hera. Mercury endeared himself to Argus, putting him to sleep by playing the syrinx, and when he fell asleep, he killed him. Did Rubens, the author of the famous painting on this plot, know the source - a story from the first book of Ovid's "Metamorphoses"? Here a doubt arises, because it was in this story that Ovid included the story of how the syrinx was created, and even its, as they say, technical description. Rubens, on the other hand, gives Mercury a conical flute, which has nothing to do with the syrinx. But be that as it may, the conical flute was also a shepherd's instrument.
Another shepherd - the giant Polyphemus - also played the syrinx. Here is how it is described in Ovid's Metamorphoses:
He took a flute with his fingers, fastened from a hundred pipes,
And the village whistles of the mountains heard him,
And heard the stream
(Translated by S. Shervinsky)
Turning to other musical instruments, we will find their connection with certain characters in mythology or Scripture. Through this connection, they acquired their symbolic meaning. Such, for example, is the harp. In the minds of Europeans of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, she was strongly associated with the biblical King David, the legendary author of psalms. In paintings, he was often depicted playing this instrument while he was tending cattle (David was a shepherd in his youth). Such an interpretation biblical story brought King David closer to Orpheus, who tamed animals with his playing on the lyre. But more often David can be seen playing the harp in front of Saul, who was suffering from melancholy: “And Saul sent to tell Jesse: let David serve with me, for he won favor in my eyes. And when the spirit from God was on Saul, then David, taking the harp, played Saul became more joyful and better, and the evil spirit departed from him" (1 Samuel 16:22-23).
Remarkably compositional solution of an unknown Bohemian artist XVII century, which adorned the body of an ancient harpsichord with its picture: this instrument, built vertically (it is called the claviciterium), resembles a harp, and King David is depicted playing on it.
Knowing about this use of the harp, shouldn't we "read" the portrait of the English King Henry VIII in a special way, where he is depicted playing the harp, and see in this monarch, as it were, a new David?
The high purpose of the harp is also confirmed by the New Testament. In the Apocalypse (Revelation of St. John the Theologian), the elders, seated around the altar with the lamb, sing, accompanying themselves on harps (in the Russian translation of the Bible, the harp is called the harp everywhere): “And when He took the book, then four animals and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb each having a harp and golden cups full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. new song..." (Revelation of St. John the Theologian, 5: 8-9).
Many musical instruments symbolize the muses and are their indispensable attributes. So, for Clio (the muse of history) it is a trumpet; for Euterpe (music, lyric poetry) - a flute, often double, sometimes also a trumpet, or, more rarely, some other musical instrument; for Thalia (comedy, pastoral poetry) - a small viola; for Mellomena (tragedy) - a bugle; for Terpsichore (dance and song) - viola, lyre or another, but certainly a stringed instrument, since the 17th century it was often a harp; for Erato (lyric and love poetry) - tambourine, lyre, less often a triangle or viola; for Calliope (epic poetry) - trumpet; for Polyhymnia, or Podymnia (heroic hymns) - a portable organ, less often - a lute or other instrument.
So, all the Muses, except Urania, have musical instruments among their symbols or attributes. Why? This is explained by the fact that in the ancient era, poems of various genres were sung in a singsong voice and included, to one degree or another, a musical element. Therefore, the muses, who patronized various poetic genres, each had their own instrument.
With the spread of Christianity and its sacred books King David's call contained in Psalm 150 became a powerful stimulus for artists:
Praise God in His holiness; praise him in the firmament of his strength.
Praise Him according to His might, praise Him according to the multitude of His greatness.
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet, praise Him on the psalter and the harp.
Praise Him with timbrel and lyric, praise Him on strings and organ.
Praise Him with loud cymbals, praise Him with loud cymbals.
All that breathes praise the Lord! Hallelujah.
The choir of angels becomes an indispensable participant in all the most exciting scenes in Christian history. And since man in his imagination created the heavens in the image of the earth, he surrounded the Creator, ruling as a king, with servant angels, and arranged them in order, and this hierarchy was symbolized, among other attributes, by musical instruments.
A special role was assigned to the so-called tuba, a powerful-sounding wind instrument of very ancient origin (the biblical tuba had nothing to do with the modern one used in symphonic and wind music - our tuba appeared only in the 19th century. The term "trumpet" found in Russian translations is a collective and includes a bible tuba). In the Middle Ages, many people called tuba wind instruments. The main thing that united them was the ability to emit powerful signals. This is what gave them their symbolic meaning. Here is the third verse of the second section of "Dies irae, dies ilia" ("That day, the day of wrath") - the Catholic funeral mass (Requiem):
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum
Coget omnes ante thronum. (Trumpet, sowing a wondrous cry
Among the tombs of all countries,
He will gather everyone to the throne.)
In Mozart's Requiem, the beginning of this section is heralded by a powerful authoritarian tenor trombone solo. We listen to him, and picturesque images of the Last Judgment appear before our mind's eye, for example, Giotto, where four angels around Christ trumpet in glory on all four sides (on "all countries"), or Rogier van der Weyden (here again, four angels they trumpet to raise the dead and weigh them on the scales of virtue and sin held by the archangel Michael), or Hans Memling, or, finally, Michelangelo, where this event awaiting us all is anticipated with hypnotic force.
Under the powerful voice of the trumpet, the Lord descended on Mount Sinai to speak with Moses and give him the ten commandments: “On the third day, at the dawn of the morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud over Mount [Sinai], and the sound of the trumpet was very strong; and it trembled all the people that were in the country... And the sound of the trumpet grew stronger and stronger. Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice" (Exodus 19:16,19).
The seven trumpets played a legendary role in the capture of Jericho: “The people cried out and blew the trumpets. As soon as the people heard the voice of the trumpet, the people [all together] exclaimed with a loud [and strong] voice; and the [whole] wall [of the city] collapsed to its foundation, And [all] the people went into the city, each one from his side, and took the city" (Joshua 6:19).
Another symbolic meaning ancient tool- psaltery. So, in the hands of angels, he pointed to Jesus Christ, or rather, to his human hypostasis. According to medieval ideas, the shape of the psalterium, as it were, imitates the shape of the body of the crucified Christ, and being a triangular instrument as a whole, the psalterium also symbolized St. Trinity. On the other hand, ten - when exactly this number was depicted - the strings of this instrument symbolized the ten commandments.
Sometimes in the paintings of the old masters you can see the baby Jesus playing the psalterium, as, for example, in the picture of the Upper Rhine master "Garden of Eden" (c. 1410). In this case, this instrument becomes a symbol of the divine nature of the Savior, who appeared before us in the guise of a man. Everything, down to the smallest details of this picture (we reproduce only its fragment - the central image), shows us the visible world, but at the same time personifies the invisible, transcendent world. The true meaning of the picture becomes clear only through the disclosure of symbolic relationships and internal contacts that exist between the characters and objects depicted on it.
Especially often the motif of musical angels is found in paintings depicting Mary with a baby. Angels singing and playing musical instruments glorify the Madonna and convey her hidden joy - after all, the existing canons did not allow Mary to be depicted as jubilant; we see her always concentrated and touched. The playing of angels also accompanies other stories associated with Mary - the Ascension and the Coronation. These subjects gave artists truly limitless possibilities for depicting entire orchestras; in any case, here we can see almost all the tools that existed at the time of this or that master.
Of the many stories associated with the Virgin Mary, let's focus on one that is relatively rare. It is based on the story of John the Theologian: "And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun; under her feet the moon. And on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation of St. John the Theologian, 12:1).
On this plot, the 15th-century Dutch artist Hertgen tot Sint Jans painted a wonderful painting "Virgin Mary with Child". And although John further says that the Virgin is pregnant and the dragon appeared to devour the baby, as soon as he was born into the world, the artist depicted Mary already with the newborn, thus connecting, as it were, two plots: "The Mother of God with the Child" and the apocalyptic image " Maiden of the Sun."
The baby has bells in his hands, and he, as it were, controls the world harmony. His gaze is fixed on the angel, in whose hands are the same two bells; this angel is all attention, he is ready to convey the impulse coming from the baby Jesus to the numerous angelic orchestra. This picture exactly illustrates the concept of Thomas Aquinas, according to which Jesus is the creator of the harmony of the spheres. Harmony is symbolized in the Geertgen painting by many angels playing musical instruments. In essence, here is a complete set of instruments of the 15th century - a lute, a large pipe, a viela (in other words, a fidel), an unusual flat bell on which an angel beats with a mallet, a flute and a drum (as a kind of single instrument played by one performer; the English composer of the Elizabethan era, William Bird wrote a piece for the virginal, which imitates the sound of these two instruments and is called "Flute and Drum"), hurdy gurdy, triangle, all kinds of brass wind instruments. In the lower right corner, the artist placed cymbals, and in the other corners - all three then known keyboard instrument: organ, clavichord and, apparently, a harpsichord with vertically arranged strings - the claviciterium already known to us.
Of course, the artist did not set himself the task of depicting an ensemble that was encountered in the real musical practice of that time - many of these instruments do not combine with each other. His goal was to create a mood of universal rejoicing and symbolically convey the loudest and richest sonority.
So, there is no doubt that musical instruments symbolize the most exalted Christian ideas and images. But in a different semantic context, they turned out to be symbols of something directly opposite. So, for example, during the Renaissance, one of the plots associated with Hercules becomes popular. In painting, it is called "The Choice of Hercules", or "Hercules at the Crossroads". This plot, by the way, has its own author (unlike other - mythological - legends of the Hercules cycle) - this is the ancient Greek sophist Prodik, a friend of Socrates and Plato.
Hercules is in a dilemma: to follow the path of virtue or vice. In painting, the iconographic types of Virtue and Vice were established. These images were personified by two female figures, each with its own attributes. So, musical instruments were the attributes of Vice. True, only Bacchic ones were chosen - a wind from the reed family and a tambourine. It was, so to speak, a classic set, canonized by Cesare Ripa in his Iconology (1593), which quickly became the accepted reference for Western European artists.
But among the attributes of Vice, sometimes there were other instruments, those that we saw in the hands of angels at heavenly concerts. Here they are on famous painting Hieronymus Bosch "Hell", or, as it is often specified, "Hell of Musicians", since there are many musical attributes: trumpet, drum, triangle, bagpipes, alto pommer, flute and, finally, the main ones - lute, harp and hurdy gurdy. There is even a picture of notes. But, God, how it is used! Who just did not try to penetrate the secrets of Bosch's symbolism. In three huge stringed instruments they saw the symbol of St. Trinity. By the way, numerical symbolism works not only in this set of tools. The same symbol is seen in the image of twenty-one strings on a harp, which corresponds to three full octaves. Further, the six strings of the lute and the hurdy-gurdy (in the lyre we judge this by the number of pins depicted) and the same number of playing holes in the pommer speak of the six days of Creation. And, finally, the ten frets of the hurdy-gurdy can be interpreted as a symbol of the ten commandments.
Triangular objects in the church painting of the era of Bosch, of course, symbolized St. Trinity, and a musical instrument, which is called that - the triangle, of course, is this symbol here too.
But another answer is given to the question why the artist placed all these tools in the picture depicting hell. Music gives pleasure, and pleasure is the theme of the whole triptych "The Garden of Earthly Delights", in which the "Hell of Musicians" is the right wing. For transient carnal joys in this world, one will have to endure cruel torments in hell. And Bosch depicts these torments along with symbols of sins committed in life - a jug of wine, playing cards and a board, and of course with musical instruments.
Symbolism in the culture of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque had great value(it is enough to recall the poetry of Dante, which is permeated through and through with symbolism). Many depicted objects were endowed with symbolic meaning. The picture, in addition to giving joy to the eye, strove to be a message. And reading this message required an understanding of the language of symbols, including knowledge of the symbolism of musical instruments.
Alexander MAYKAPAR
An angel playing the jew's harp, depicted on one of the columns. Image of the XV century.
Vargan- one of the oldest. Under various names, it is distributed throughout most of the world.
When playing, the jew's harp is pressed to the teeth or to the lips, the oral cavity serves. Changing the mouth and breathing makes it possible to change the instrument. In addition, the position of the diaphragm brings new shades to the sound.
This plot appears in Western European painting relatively late - at the end XIV century; the painting by Master Bertram on the so-called Grabow Altar (c. 1379) is the earliest known example. Such a late appearance of this plot seems strange, especially in light of the fact that from the legend of the palm tree that sheltered Mary and the Child from the heat of the sun, to the rest of the Holy Family is one step away. This is apparently explained by the fact that there is not even a hint of this plot in the canonical Gospels.
By the end of XV centuries, in the paintings with this plot, Mary and the Child begin to dominate, thanks to which he approaches the image of the Madonna and Child. Joseph is given a secondary role here.
A completely unique interpretation of this plot gives.
Caravaggio. Flight into Egypt (Rest on the Flight into Egypt) (1594-1596). Rome. Gallery Doria-Pamphili.
The artist depicts an angel playing the violin according to the notes held by Joseph. The music book contains the upper voice of the motet by the Flemish composer Noel Baldwin "Quam pulchra es et quam decora". The motet is inspired by Solomon's "Song of Songs" and this verse is translated "How beautiful you are, how attractive [beloved by your sweetness]". A donkey attentively listening to music brings to mind the selflessly singing donkey in the painting by Piero della Francesca "Nativity" (c. 1470; London, National Gallery): the irony lies in the fact that the donkey has long been considered the most unmusical animal.
Alexander MAYKAPAR
Krumhorn (or krummgorn, krummhorn) - literally "crooked horn" - a wind instrument that arose around the beginning of the 15th century. It is considered the ancestor of the oboe and bassoon (that's why I'm talking about this reference) because it uses a double reed. main feature krumhorn (besides its curved shape) is that the reed is enclosed in a bowl so that the performer's lips do not touch the reed at all. The krumhorn was very common, it was played back in the days of the "high baroque" - during the "triumph" of the oboe and bassoon. It was also used in later music, for example, by F. Poulenc (although this is a separate story, how it was used there :).
yes Forli. "Angel playing on LUTE"
6. Hans Memling Angel. Around 1490
sash detail
altar
Wood, oil
E.C. Burne-Jones |
Musical Angel 1880
Song of love. Angel is listening...