DOI Artikel:
Siechowicz, Paweł: The key to M. K. Čiurlionis’s synthesis of the Arts
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.23935#0075
THE KEY ТО M.K. CIURLIONIS'S SYNTHESIS OF THE ARTS
69
Both the contour of the melody that resembles an inverted subject and the contour of the melody begin-
ning the third épisode that resembles the prime form of the subject, but with intervallic enlargement, can play
a role similar to that of estrangement effects in the painting. The melody resembling the inverted subject is
similar to the trees mirrored in the water, in that they both reflect something that actually is not given. The third
épisode takes the form remini scent of the subject but is deformed. The resemblance of the contour persists but
it is not a simple répétition of the subject, just like the many rounded silhouettes are not a simple répétition of
the thematic contour, but resemble it in some way.
There is also an analogy to the estrangement of structural levels. Upsetting the colour perspective in the
painting can correspond to the upsetting of foreground tonal relations in the course of a fugue at the end of its
exposition, where the answer is not stated at the perfect fourth or fifth, as it should be according to tradition,
but at the tritone - an interval which violâtes tonality (thus why in the Middle Ages it was given the name
diabolus in musica). Thus, Ciurlionis borders on musical atonality on the one hand and pictorial abstraction
on the other, although he never crosses thèse borders.
The analogies described above do comprise the fuli list. The light, oval bulbs placed on thin straight lines
that accompany the contours of coloured planes play a role analogous to countersubjects in a fugal exposition.
The yellowish ovals form a discrète line strictly connected to the rounded silhouettes. The strictness of the
connection makes the analogy plausible.
Ail the aforementioned analogies, however, should be understood only as an application of similar for-
mal devices in both of the arts. In other words, musical fugue is not a direct translation of painting into music36.
One further proof of this would be the role of fir trees, which find no analogue in musical fugue, yet are of
great importance to the contrapuntal network of the painting.
The painting and the musical piece are autonomous works on the same subject. But only that autonomy
gives us a reason to draw conclusions about the nature of Ciurlionis's synthesis of the arts. The final thing to
do before drawing any conclusions would be to reflect on the character of that autonomy.
Music and painting are perceived differently. People listen to music in time from the beginning to the
end. In contrast, people may look at a painting in such a way that they can take repeated views of it. Yet, in
music listeners reconstruct a full image of a musical piece only after hearing ail of it. In visual art, viewers
systematically build their image of the painting as their attention moves from one element to another. There
are no ready rules about the order of discovering the relations between éléments of the painting. Musical élé-
ments, on the other hand, are presented in séquence or simultaneously alongside each other. Taking this into
considération, it is clear that the painted fugue must differ from the musical one.
The subject of a musical fugue is flrst presented unaccompanied, so that the listener can recognize its
subséquent répétitions and understand its juxtaposition with différent lines of free counterpoint, or recogniz-
able lines of countersubjects. There are also épisodes when the subject remains unheard. However, after the
last sound has ceased, listeners can reflect upon the heard materiał and discover in their memory ail the rela-
tions Connecting the subject with other éléments of the fugue, some of which being heard earlier appear more
distant, others heard more recently remaining closer to this image.
Viewers looking at the painting do exactly the opposite. They already have a full image. However, the
longer viewers look at the painting, the more they can see. They discover the relations of éléments constituting
the whole, consequently beginning to understand the inner rules of the painting - the gravitation of colours
and forms. Viewers should work to uncover the subject from the complicated image displayed before their
eyes. It is only after realizing what the subject of the painting is that viewers can reconstruct a holistic image
of the many relations in which it is involved.
Hence, the last stage of perception is similar in both realms. One sees the painting or hears the music in
its entirety, realizing the role of the subject in the network of relations with other éléments that constitute the
work of art. This is the essence of the idea of a fugue, its Latin name related to fugere [to flee] and fugare [to
chase]. The subject flees from our attention as it becomes involved in thèse numerous différent relations. We
should chase it, tracing ail thèse relations back to their source, which is the subject itself, because ail the other
éléments of fugue remain dependent upon it.
36 Hence, I agrée with Vergo who claims that it would be absurd "that a musicologist could identify its [«Fugue's»] spécifie coun-
terpart among the real fugues that Ciurlionis composed at various stages in his career" (Vergo, op. cit., p. 210). The relation that I présent is
not a spécifie one.
69
Both the contour of the melody that resembles an inverted subject and the contour of the melody begin-
ning the third épisode that resembles the prime form of the subject, but with intervallic enlargement, can play
a role similar to that of estrangement effects in the painting. The melody resembling the inverted subject is
similar to the trees mirrored in the water, in that they both reflect something that actually is not given. The third
épisode takes the form remini scent of the subject but is deformed. The resemblance of the contour persists but
it is not a simple répétition of the subject, just like the many rounded silhouettes are not a simple répétition of
the thematic contour, but resemble it in some way.
There is also an analogy to the estrangement of structural levels. Upsetting the colour perspective in the
painting can correspond to the upsetting of foreground tonal relations in the course of a fugue at the end of its
exposition, where the answer is not stated at the perfect fourth or fifth, as it should be according to tradition,
but at the tritone - an interval which violâtes tonality (thus why in the Middle Ages it was given the name
diabolus in musica). Thus, Ciurlionis borders on musical atonality on the one hand and pictorial abstraction
on the other, although he never crosses thèse borders.
The analogies described above do comprise the fuli list. The light, oval bulbs placed on thin straight lines
that accompany the contours of coloured planes play a role analogous to countersubjects in a fugal exposition.
The yellowish ovals form a discrète line strictly connected to the rounded silhouettes. The strictness of the
connection makes the analogy plausible.
Ail the aforementioned analogies, however, should be understood only as an application of similar for-
mal devices in both of the arts. In other words, musical fugue is not a direct translation of painting into music36.
One further proof of this would be the role of fir trees, which find no analogue in musical fugue, yet are of
great importance to the contrapuntal network of the painting.
The painting and the musical piece are autonomous works on the same subject. But only that autonomy
gives us a reason to draw conclusions about the nature of Ciurlionis's synthesis of the arts. The final thing to
do before drawing any conclusions would be to reflect on the character of that autonomy.
Music and painting are perceived differently. People listen to music in time from the beginning to the
end. In contrast, people may look at a painting in such a way that they can take repeated views of it. Yet, in
music listeners reconstruct a full image of a musical piece only after hearing ail of it. In visual art, viewers
systematically build their image of the painting as their attention moves from one element to another. There
are no ready rules about the order of discovering the relations between éléments of the painting. Musical élé-
ments, on the other hand, are presented in séquence or simultaneously alongside each other. Taking this into
considération, it is clear that the painted fugue must differ from the musical one.
The subject of a musical fugue is flrst presented unaccompanied, so that the listener can recognize its
subséquent répétitions and understand its juxtaposition with différent lines of free counterpoint, or recogniz-
able lines of countersubjects. There are also épisodes when the subject remains unheard. However, after the
last sound has ceased, listeners can reflect upon the heard materiał and discover in their memory ail the rela-
tions Connecting the subject with other éléments of the fugue, some of which being heard earlier appear more
distant, others heard more recently remaining closer to this image.
Viewers looking at the painting do exactly the opposite. They already have a full image. However, the
longer viewers look at the painting, the more they can see. They discover the relations of éléments constituting
the whole, consequently beginning to understand the inner rules of the painting - the gravitation of colours
and forms. Viewers should work to uncover the subject from the complicated image displayed before their
eyes. It is only after realizing what the subject of the painting is that viewers can reconstruct a holistic image
of the many relations in which it is involved.
Hence, the last stage of perception is similar in both realms. One sees the painting or hears the music in
its entirety, realizing the role of the subject in the network of relations with other éléments that constitute the
work of art. This is the essence of the idea of a fugue, its Latin name related to fugere [to flee] and fugare [to
chase]. The subject flees from our attention as it becomes involved in thèse numerous différent relations. We
should chase it, tracing ail thèse relations back to their source, which is the subject itself, because ail the other
éléments of fugue remain dependent upon it.
36 Hence, I agrée with Vergo who claims that it would be absurd "that a musicologist could identify its [«Fugue's»] spécifie coun-
terpart among the real fugues that Ciurlionis composed at various stages in his career" (Vergo, op. cit., p. 210). The relation that I présent is
not a spécifie one.