# Your favourite works in each of the fine arts.



## jttoft (Apr 23, 2012)

Hello all.

I though a good idea for a topic might be people's favourite works in each of the (primary) fine arts.
Music is probably the most appreciated art on this forum - certainly the most discussed - but I thought it might be interesting to hear which other works of art people love, like or admire.

These are the primary fine arts I think should be included:

- Music
- Literature
- Poetry
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Architecture
- Film
- Theatre (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets)
- Photography

If you are unfamiliar with one or more fields, just list your favourites in the others. And please try to limit it to only a few (a max of five, I'd say) in each category - or even just one work if you have an absolute favourite.
Also, if you feel like it, it would be fun to see which of the fine arts people consider the finest of all. 
Some discussion and comments would be great, too!

Here is my list:

*Music:*
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
Mozart's Clarinet Concerto
Bach's Second Violin Concerto
*Painting:*
Michelangelo's "The Last Judgment"
_There's no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest piece of painting art in the world. It's incredible._
*Sculpture:*
Michelangelo's "Pietà"
*Architecture:*
Pantheon, Rome
*Film:*
Frank Darabont's "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)
Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" (1982)
Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)

I consider music the finest of the arts.


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

I was going to reply, but then I decided it would be too hard to narrow it down to just five.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

It is hard for me too, esp. in some areas which I love lots of (eg. music, not surprisingly). So I will just put down what comes to mind.

*Music*
- A bit of everything. Favourite classical composers are Beethoven, Janacek, Messiaen, Haydn, Bernstein, Brahms, Shostakovich, Australian music, among many others (as all of us here, I guess).

*Literature*
- A lot of things, Charles Dickens was an early favourite, as was R.L. Stevenson and Jules Verne (eg. the classics).

*Poetry*
- Not much here. I often come across these in classical music. Eg. authors of texts to song cycles I'm listening to. I have found Baudelaire's and Rimbaud's stuff quite interesting, I like the images they bring to my mind, their symbolism, etc.

*Painting*
- Too many to mention. One of my favourites is Marc Chagall. Also the Surrealists, Pop Art, the Fauves, a lot of 20th century.

*Sculpture*
- I quite like 20th century sculpture. One is Ivan Mestrovic. Just that simplicity mixed with directness of expression.

*Architecture*
- _Georgian style architecture _(originated in UK). Some images from a quick search HERE. Basically I like the human scale of this style as well as its simplicity, restraint and elegance.

*Film*
- directors such as Carol Reed, Elia Kazan, Stephen Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Australian ones as well (eg. Fred Schepsi).

*Theatre* (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets)
- Musicals are my favourite of these. _Cabaret _by Kander/Ebb is at No. 1 spot. I also like Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber. In terms of opera, favourites are Berg's _Wozzeck_, Beethoven's _Fidelio,_ Puccini's _Turandot,_ Verdi's _Aida_, Berlioz's _Damnation de Faust_ (if it's an opera?) & Rossini's _Barber of Seville_. Operetta is good too.

*Photography*
- Australians such as Max Dupain, but also Europeans like Cartier-Bresson and Americans like Alfred Stieglitz.


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## MaestroViolinist (May 22, 2012)

*Music:*
Bach's two violin concertos
Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Sibelius concerto

*Art: Painting:*
Mona Lisa D :lol

*Art: Sculpture*
No idea

*Films:*
I think it's called Gone with the Wind. It's extremely long, but it was great! They probably made re-makes of it, but I like the original (well, I think it's the original...).
Pirates of the Caribbean, no. 1. *Coughs* :lol:

*Poetry/Literature:*
Shakespeare *Duh*


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Music: Bruckner (everything), Wagner (everything), Mahler (almost everything).

Literature: Virgil's _The Aeneid_, Torquato Tasso's _Jerusalem Delivered_, John Milton's _Paradise Lost_, Dante's _Divine Comedy_. Also, Wagner's librettos are literature, and up there with the best.

Poetry: technically, all my favourites in literature are poetry, just see above. But if we're talking about poetry in a shorter form, T. S. Eliot's _The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock_ is my all-time favourite. I also like Michelangelo's passionate verses and Li Po's eastern elegies that also inspired Mahler.

Painting: Jacques-Louis David: _Oath of the Horatii_ and _The Intervention of the Sabine Women_, Delacroix's _The Death of Sardanapalus_, Rubens' _Fall of the Rebel Angels_, Tintoretto's _Crucifixion_.

Sculpture: Gianlorenzo Bernini takes the cake with _Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Blessed Ludovica Albertoni_ and many more. Michelangelo's greatness is also undeniable with pieces like _David_ and _Pietá_. Canova's _Amor and Psykhe_ must also be mentioned, and I'll add Cellini's _Perseus with the Head of Medusa_ as a personal favourite. Still, I must squeeze in _The Dying Gaul_ and Praksiteles' _Hermes and Dionysos_ from the ancient times. And I'm quite confirmed that the _Zeus_ of Phidias was the best sculpture ever.

Architecture: I like all the classic styles, and my favourites are the obvious textbook ones: _the Parthenon_ in Athens, _Hagia Sophia_ in Istambul, _St. Peter's_ in Rome, _The Cathedral of Amiens_ in, uh, Amiens, and finally, my hometown hero C. L. Engel with his neoclassical/Empire-style _Senate Square_ with all the adjoining buildings, in Helsinki.

Film: today's top five could be something like Renoir: _La Grande Illusion_, Bresson: _Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut_, Visconti: _Il Gattopardo_, Eisenstein: _Ivan Groznyi_, Welles: _Citizen Kane_.

Theatre: if Wagner counts, then everything that he wrote; but if not, then Goethe's _Faust_, even if it's better read than performed.

I really don't know which art I should name as the highest. The other Muses might be angry at me, and you know, Hell hath no fury like... Perhaps I should name Wagnerian Music Drama Performed At Bayreuth as the highest art - at least, almost all the Muses have their spoons in that particular soup.


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## jttoft (Apr 23, 2012)

Great replies, everyone. Thank you.

_Sid James_, you mention Marc Chagall and the surrealists as some of your favourites in painting. I'd be interested to know which specific works you like. I, too, find Chagall is quite interesting, though his paintings are perhaps a little "too much" for my tastes. I really like Salvador Dalí.

_Xaltotun_, it's interesting that you should mention St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It's a very impressive building - especially internally - but it really doesn't do anything for me. I mean, it's sheer size is incredible, but that's it. It doesn't present any particularly remarkable engineering or architectural achievements - like the Pantheon with its concrete dome and solid stone pillars. Have you visited the Basilica?


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## Klavierspieler (Jul 16, 2011)

Okay, here goes:
*
Music:*
A few favorites would be Schumann (duh), Beethoven, Chopin, Bach, Janacek, Britten, Machaut, Byrd, etc... Tried to get at least one from every period in there.

*Literature:*
Dickens and Dostoevsky. If I had to pick a favorite work it would probably be either _Crime and Punishment_ or _A Tale of Two Cities._

*Poetry:*
Heine and both Brownings.

*Painting:*
Pretty unfamiliar ground for me. I'm gonna say Rembrandt.

*Film:*
Pixar.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)




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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

jttoft said:


> ...
> _Sid James_, you mention Marc Chagall and the surrealists as some of your favourites in painting. I'd be interested to know which specific works you like. I, too, find Chagall is quite interesting, though his paintings are perhaps a little "too much" for my tastes. I really like Salvador Dalí.
> 
> ...


I basically like anything by Chagall. Favourites include _Time is a River without Banks _; _Lovers and the Eiffel Tower _; and even the less typical stained glass windows he did in Israel, which show a more hard edged Modernist bent.

Re the surrealists, again any of them basically, including Dali who you mention. Others are Magritte, Delvaux, Tanguy, Roland Penrose, Balthus, Australians like James Gleeson, and so on. I think that the period between the two world wars was a very fertile & fascinating time for the creative arts, but of course unfortunately not a very good time on the political or economic front.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

- Music: Mahler's 2nd Symphony
- Literature: Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
- Poetry: Reluctance, by Robert Frost
- Painting: Apostle Paul Preachin on the Ruins, by Giovanni Paolo Pannini
- Sculpture: I don't know enough sculptures to say lol
- Architecture: Petra, Jordan
- Film : Barry Lyndon
- Theatre (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets): Handel's Rinaldo
- Photography: Ansel Adams picture of the Snake River overlook


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Music: Wagner - _Tristan und Isolde_

Literature: Wagner - _Der Ring des Nibelungen_

Poetry: Wagner - _Tristan und Isolde_

Painting: Saw something nice in a Best Western the other day

Sculpture: _Winged Victory_ with a bust of Wagner's head placed upon it.

Architecture: Wagner - Bayreuther Festspielhaus

Film: _Wagner_ starring Richard Burton

Theatre (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets): Wagner - _Parsifal_

Photography: Photos of Wagner


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

jttoft said:


> _Xaltotun_, it's interesting that you should mention St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It's a very impressive building - especially internally - but it really doesn't do anything for me. I mean, it's sheer size is incredible, but that's it. It doesn't present any particularly remarkable engineering or architectural achievements - like the Pantheon with its concrete dome and solid stone pillars. Have you visited the Basilica?


You know, I'm a very poor person who can rarely afford going outside of my apartment, let alone my home town! So no, I've never been in Rome, or in any of the other locations of the buildings that I admire. I base my admiration on pictures I've seen in books and in the Internet. Concerning St. Peter's, I love the excess of it all! It does seem to lack unity a bit, but it seems organically grown instead - much like the Catholic Church itself, I think. Outside, the "reaching" colonnades encircling the St. Peter's Square are certainly an innovation, don't you think? And the sheer number on statues on the colonnades! Quantity has a quality all of its own, like someone said 

The massive baldacchino, the bronze structure in the middle of the basilica, must be seen as an innovation as well - I've never encountered anything like it. Its spiral columns gave inspiration to a whole generation of baroque artists and furniture-makers, I think - one can see this shape dominate in baroque art. And the papal throne is a _Gesamtkunstwerk_ if there ever was one. Fit for the ruler of the world, I think it epitomizes the dreams of world domination of the counter-reformation. Bernini's statue of _Longinus_ is also a remarkable feature of the interior.

I'll admit, though, that the knowledge of Michelangelo and Bernini designing the whole thing may affect my judgement... they are two of my favourite artists!

When it comes to the Pantheon, I don't think that any building surpasses it _philosophically_ (except maybe the Hagia Sophia), and I love the idea behind it all, the universality, the untouchable sphere of light created by the Oculus... I just haven't seen the best pictures of it! If I were to see those, or even better, see a film about it, or, gosh, actually _visit_ it, I'm sure my appreciation of it would soar. But at this point I have to be honest to my senses.


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## TheBamf (Apr 21, 2012)

Sounds like fun, here goes nothing:

- Music
Beethoven's 9th symphont
- Literature
One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Poetry
Collected works of Pablo Neruda (cheating? Yeah.)
- Painting
Wanderer aove the sea and the fog
- Sculpture
Can't say.
- Architecture
Can't say.
- Film
There Will Be Blood
- Theatre (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets)
The Nutcracker
- Photography
None.


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Another Garcia Marquez fan!

A very similar thread here: http://www.talkclassical.com/18495-your-personal-art-hall.html

Though many of my choices have changed since


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Music: *Ligeti's* Kammerkonzert
Literature: Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto
Poetry: anything by E. E. Cummings or Emily Dickinskon
Painting: anything by Chuck Close
Sculpture: Carl Andre's Equivalent XIII
Architecture: the house I am living in, particularly my room
Film: Tie between Only Yesterday and Porco Rosso
Theatre: Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape
Photography: my 2007 school photo.


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

- Music
Metallica and that classical song that goes "DUH DUH DUH DUUUUHHH..."
- Literature
I read Animal Farm in high school once it was okay. Animals can't talk haha lol. But they do in the book.
- Poetry
That one Edgar Alan Poe did about that crow.
- Painting
That one where that ***** chops off the dude's head! **** yeah!
- Sculpture
I dunno. Just none of those Greek ones where you can see the dude's dingdong.
- Architecture
This is the same thing as sculpture, right? Oh, this is buildings? I guess the sixteenth chapel or whatever. The one where the guy drew on the walls or ceiling or w/e.
- Film
Transformers
- Theatre (incl. plays, musicals, operas and ballets)
Theatre? Like plays and ballets? That's so g[user was banned for this post]


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## TheBamf (Apr 21, 2012)

emiellucifuge said:


> Another Garcia Marquez fan!
> 
> A very similar thread here: http://www.talkclassical.com/18495-your-personal-art-hall.html
> 
> Though many of my choices have changed since


He is a wonderful man, I am soon going to read "Love in the time of the cholera".


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Thats my favourite of his, but Ive also read Chronicle of a death foretold, and Autumn of the Patriarch which I can recommend greatly (as well as 100 years, but you already know it...)


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## TheBamf (Apr 21, 2012)

With the summer rapidly approaching your reccomendations are most welcome : )


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## jttoft (Apr 23, 2012)

Xaltotun said:


> You know, I'm a very poor person who can rarely afford going outside of my apartment, let alone my home town! So no, I've never been in Rome, or in any of the other locations of the buildings that I admire.


- I see. That's a shame. I really hope you get the chance to go sometime. It's a remarkable city. I spent a few days there last summer, and it's just incredible to walk around, going from one incredible piece of roman history and architecture to the next. One could spent days upon days walking around and seeing all the sights. It's a city I'm sure to revisit.



> Concerning St. Peter's, I love the excess of it all! It does seem to lack unity a bit, but it seems organically grown instead - much like the Catholic Church itself, I think. Outside, the "reaching" colonnades encircling the St. Peter's Square are certainly an innovation, don't you think? And the sheer number on statues on the colonnades! Quantity has a quality all of its own, like someone said


- Yes, the square (circle, really) in front of the basilica is almost as overwhelming as the basilica itself. It's quite huge. An interesting effect is that when you're standing in the square, St. Peter's Basilica itself doesn't really seem like a building. The front of the basilica is almost connected to the walls on either side, and so it feels more like an extension of the square itself. Because of the size of the facade and the fact that you can't look above or around it, you don't quite perceive it as a building but more like a giant wall. But then you pass through it, and this enormous open space with the most intricate and, quite frankly, over the top ornaments and statues presents itself. It's like you're in another place, entirely.



> When it comes to the Pantheon, I don't think that any building surpasses it _philosophically_ (except maybe the Hagia Sophia), and I love the idea behind it all, the universality, the untouchable sphere of light created by the Oculus... I just haven't seen the best pictures of it! If I were to see those, or even better, see a film about it, or, gosh, actually _visit_ it, I'm sure my appreciation of it would soar. But at this point I have to be honest to my senses.


- Yes, pictures really doesn't do the Pantheon (or St. Peter's basilica) justice. The feeling of size and open space is quite difficult to convey with a photograph. I took some quite inadequate photos of the interior Pantheon when I was there last summer. Some are better than others - I'll PM you a few.


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## jttoft (Apr 23, 2012)

Since, for some reason, I can't edit my post or send private messages, here are some pictures (in full resolution) of the Pantheon and, since you showed interest, one of the columns of St. Peter's Square.
Most of the interior shots are quite dark unfortunately, because I made a stupid mistake with the photography.
You will notice that it's quite difficult to perceive the roundness of the dome in photos - especially in the last one.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Off the top of my head, or else I'll overthink this. And it's not indicating this is the greatest piece, just my personal favorite at this point.

Favorite music: Beethoven's 9th is always at the top. 
Poetry: T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
Painting: Mark Rothko, No. 3. 
Sculpture: Adams Memorial, Saint-Gaudens (This is based on a personal visit to the site at an important point in my life)
Film: Casablanca
Theatre: Ibsen, A Doll's House
Literature: The Bible.

Of course, music is the finest of the arts for its universality, spirituality, and it's got the songs that make the young girls cry.


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## ZombieBeethoven (Jan 17, 2012)

A few thoughts...

Music
Ein Deutches Requiem - Brahms Long standing favorite
L'Orfeo - Monteverdi Favorite lately
Hurt - Cash (Deep emotional impact every time I hear it)

Literature
The Meadow - Galvin

Poetry 
Probably the area in which I am "weakest"
Ash Wednesday - TS Eliot

Paining
Franciscan Monk Meditating on a Skull - Zurbaran (I just made it my avatar)

Architecture
Ginkaku-ji
Glass House by Philp Johnson

Film
Hard to choose... virtually everything by Kurasawa, Yojida, Miyazaki, Fellini, Lee, Eisenstein
also a few individual works - Into Great Silence by Groning, The Warrior by Kupadia, Forest Gump by Zemeckis (spent some time with Zemeckis a few years ago, very nice fellow)
Sorry, I just can't narrow it down any more than that!


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Such excellent pictures, jttoft, than you very much for posting these!!!


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## jttoft (Apr 23, 2012)

Xaltotun said:


> Such excellent pictures, jttoft, than you very much for posting these!!!


- You're very welcome.
The dome of the Pantheon is actually a perfect half sphere. There is 43,3 meters from floor to oculus and 43,3 meters from wall to wall. Built in the year 126, it still holds the record for the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Quite remarkable.


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