Representations of Saint Sebastian in visual arts and musicZeitgeist, a German term often attributed to the philosopher Georg Hegel (1770-1831), literally means "the spirit of the times ". Zeitgeist is based on the understanding that a dominant school of thought – whether political, social, philosophical or otherwise – influences the culture of a specific period and that the art and thought of that period influence each other. Zeitgeist assumes that culture and art are therefore faithfully united, since an artist is the product of his time. This semester, when comparing works of visual art and opera and particularly between works from the same period, many parallels emerge. But beyond the scope of individual periods (e.g. Renaissance, Romanticism, Modern), there are parallels that transcend the scope of time entirely. Individuals from varied cultures and historical periods seem invariably fascinated by the idea of ​​an archetypal character whom they can adapt and reinterpret in the terms of their own zeitgeist and with whom they can identify. A striking example is the figure of Orpheus, from the myths of Antiquity and which has been remade and adapted into operas by composers such as Monteverdi, Schütz, Lully, Fux, Telemann, Rameau, Gluck, Haydn, Offenbach, Debussy (in an unfinished project). ), Milhaud, Birtwistle and Philip Glass – and that’s really just the tip of the iceberg! We also see Oprhéus represented in the paintings of Gennari in the 17th century and Redon in the 19th century, Corot (1861), dell'Abbate and Rubens. I could similarly list the artists, writers or composers who have famously represented one of the figures we have studied so far: the Nordic figures dear to Wagner, Saint Sebastian...... mid-century paper......it's a tragedy. The music, subsequently, exists today in a concert version, much like an oratorio, for choir, orchestra and soloists which included a spoken narration based on D'Annunzio's piece. From the Martyr also came a suite of symphonic fragments, without voices and narration, which acquired a certain popularity. What does it look like? The music of Le Martyr comes from an advanced stage of Debussy's career. For reference, Pelléas and Mélisande had already been written in TK. There is a brief spoken introduction [TK excerpt], in which the narrator implores the audience for silence and attention, followed by the Prelude to Mansion One, or Act One, The Court of Lilies. The music is reminiscent of Pelléas, but with an even more sober orchestration and a more refined texture, which only reinforce the sensuality of the music...