Seasonal Saturdays Event Box: Musical Accompaniment

Summer 2021

Listen to the playlist and check out the song notes below to learn how the selections fit the artworks featured in the box!

Or find the playlist on:

About the Playlist:

My name is Andy Bauer. I choose each song based on either the feelings of the paintings, the year the music was produced or written, the location of the music, or the mood of each painting. Each song had something that drew me towards it and made sense with the theme of the summer session. 

Andy’s Playlist Notes:

Check your Summer Art Shenanigans Event Box to see the works referenced below!

1. King Porter Stomp by Jelly Roll Morton:

   This is a song that was originally recorded in 1923. It was later made more famous by Benny Goodman. This song has a buoyancy to it that is contagious. This song has lived past the original recording in 1923 and been recorded by many artists throughout the past nearly 100 years. And I suspect that this song will continue to make appearances throughout the rest of time as well. This song came out the same year Maurice Prendergast painted Twilight. There is an overlap in which Morton and Prendergast where both alive and in America putting forth their artwork. It is fascinating to me to see the different styles of music and art that were happening at the same time and in similar places.  

2. Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514 Composed by Franz Liszt and performed by Khatia Buniatshvili:

   This is a Franz Liszt composition that I have come to love over the past several years. I think this performance really sounds wonderful. There is a playfulness in this specific recording that is very endearing to me. I think this song showcases the true virtuosity needed to play Franz Liszt. The mood of James Hope’s Rainbow Falls inspired this song selection.

3. Só Danço Samba written by Antônio Carlos Jobim and performed on the Getz / Gilberto record:

   this song is a quintessential summer tune for me. You can almost feel the ocean breeze and smell the salty air coming in through the recording. There is a playfulness in this song that I think captures those longer days. This summer feeling and breezy playful aspects of the song can be felt in Thompson’s A Midsummer’s Day on Long Island.

4. Passepied (Debussy) performed by The Punch Brothers:

   I found this tune to be a very interesting match. It is a piece written by Claude Debussy. But this is performed by an American Folk group with American Folk instruments. It is also incredible to hear an ensemble take on this piece and the interplay between instruments. 

5. Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major:

   This piece was composed in 1871, the same year Hope painted Rainbow Falls. I love how the small quartet seems to sound like a massive orchestra. There is a bit of a mysterious sound on some of the melodic lines in the piece. The interplay between instruments is truly stunning. The natural feeling of the quartet matches the landscape in Hope’s Rainbow Falls; both are down to the essentials but still so vastly full and rich. 

6. Wait For The Moment by Vulfpeck:

   This song feels like a manifestation of joy to me. The lyrics talk about getting together with your closest friends and cherishing their presence. This song has a contagious feeling of joy to me. When I hear this, I notice the little pick up in my step. And I notice that feeling of fun. After the past year of isolation and separation, I think this song really jumps out to me in the sense of enjoying our friends and getting together with those we have missed most. This theme of togetherness is reflected well in Thompson’s A Midsummer’s Day on Long Island.

7. Wings by Karate Chop, Silence:

   This song, by a Winona based band, feels like springtime. The fickleness of the weather can be heard in the music. But as the song continues, it continues to be very playful and filled with memorable catchy lyrics and melodies. John Quidor’s lively and busy Tavern Scene fits the group vocals in the final part of the song. The idea of escaping our worlds, even if just for a night, enjoying the people around us, and having refreshments is the very vibe of Quidor’s work.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.