The composer Sir James MacMillan has called music ‘the most spiritual of the arts’, and for many people, both religious and non-religious alike, this rings true.1 But what do people mean by ‘music’ and ‘spiritual’ in this context, and what is the nature of their perceived relationship? Do certain kinds of music more readily afford spiritual experiences than others? What …
Questions of time and concepts of temporality have increasingly been moving into the focus of current research. A broad timeframe is covered in the publication Temporalität in Kunst und Kunsttheorie seit 1800 [Temporality in Art and Art Theory since 1800], ed-ited by Thomas Kisser in 2011. It reflects and discusses the problem of time in images across epochs – by analysing the role of time i…
In Sacred Music in Secular Society, Jonathan Arnold highlights a strange phenomenon: ‘the seeming paradox that, in today’s so-called secular society, sacred choral music is as powerful, compelling and popular as it has ever been’.1 The explosion of new media through the internet and digital technology has created a new, broader audience for ‘the creative art of Renaissance polyphony …
Even today the academic world often rejects the different manifestations of contemporary popular culture as a source of study in many subjects of the humanities. In the fields of history and archaeology its role is, however, fundamental to the framework of research into cultural reception. In this respect, as defined by Sonna and Illarraga (2016: 9-10):Cines, series, películas, …
Part 1 of this collection enables readers to immerse themselves in a generous cross section of weird and wonderful written materials. All these constituents relate to the thirteenth-century French tour de force typically called “Our Lady’s Tumbler.” To set the stage, the opening subsection offers a brand-new, heavily annotated translation of the poem and the exemplum re…
This masterly account of Leonardo da Vinci and his vision of the world has long been recognized as the classic treatment of the Renaissance giant, offering unparalleled insight into Leonardo's intellect and vision at every stage of his artistic career. Martin Kemp, one of the world's leading authorities on Leonardo, takes us on a mesmerizing journey through the whole span of the great man's li…
From classical to hard rock, and jazz to hip hop, music is constantly evolving, but many of the basics have stayed the same. Understanding these basics is key to becoming a successful musician and well-rounded music lover. Music Theory 101 covers everything novice musicians and lifelong learners need to know, including: -How to read sheet music -Understanding the construction of chords a…
From July 5 to 7, 2021, the second “Tsinghua Area Studies Forum” with “Areas of the World and the World in Areas” as its theme, was held by the Institute for International and Area Studies (IIAS) at Tsinghua Univer-sity in Beijing. One hundred and forty-four scholars from 13 countries and 36 universities and research institutions aroun…
Explore the beautiful and complex world of art! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of fine art with tedious discourse that even Leonardo da Vinci would oppose. Art 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in artistic expression that keeps you engaged as you discover the world's greatest artists and their masterpieces. From col…
Cities and water have a love-hate relationship (Feldman 2017). This is especially true of rivers in many cities in Asia, which, like cities in the rest of the world, owe their locations to rivers and the trading opportunities and water sources these rivers provided. In recent years, cities across China have been beautifying and extending their waterfronts, and cities as diverse as Singapore and…