Classicism of the twenties : art, music, and literature

The triumph of avant-gardes in the 1920s tends to dominate our discussions of the music, art, and literature of the period. But the broader current of modernism encompassed many movements, and one of the most distinct and influential was a turn to classicism. In Classicism of the Twenties, Theodore Ziolkowski offers a compelling account of that movement. Giving equal attention to music, art, and literature, and focusing in particular on the works of Stravinsky, Picasso, and T. S. Eliot, he shows how the turn to classicism manifested itself. In reaction both to the excesses of neoromanticism and early modernism and to the horrors of World War I—and with respectful detachment—artists, writers, and composers adapted themes and forms from the past and tried to imbue their own works with the values of simplicity and order that epitomized earlier classicisms. By identifying elements common to all three arts, and carefully situating classicism within the broader sweep of modernist movements, Ziolkowski presents a refreshingly original view of the cultural life of the 1920s. This book defines the theory and practice of “classicism” as practiced in the 1920s by a number of composers, writers, and artists, setting it off against other movements of the period that are customarily grouped together under the general heading of “modernism.” It argues that classicism is a more precise term than neo-classicism during this period, since every classicism from antiquity to the present shares certain common qualities as well as characteristics of its own time. The book develops terms of comparison applicable to all three aesthetic forms, exploring the theory of classicism as developed by thinkers in France, Italy, Germany, and England as a reaction, first, against the formlessness of late romanticism, and then, against the chaos of World War I. It goes on to study the manner in which that theory was practiced in the work of three exemplary figures--Stravinsky, Picasso, and Eliot. The model of their work is then used to determine in various test cases whether those artists can properly be called classicists. The book concludes that classicists of the ’20s aspire consciously and systematically, through the use of forms and techniques echoing the past, such as linearity and simplification, to express the qualities of reason, restraint, clarity, and order as an antidote to the disruptions of the modern world "The triumph of avant-gardes in the 1920s tends to dominate our discussions of the music, art, and literature of the period. But the broader current of modernism encompassed many movements, and one of the most distinct and influential was a turn to classicism. In Classicism of the Twenties, Theodore Ziolkowski offers a compelling account of that movement. Giving equal attention to music, art, and literature, and focusing in particular on the works of Stravinsky, Picasso, and T.S. Eliot, he shows how the turn to classicism manifested itself. In reaction both to the excesses of neoromanticism and early modernism and to the horrors of World War I--and with respectful detachment--artists, writers, and composers adapted themes and forms from the past and tried to imbue their own works with the values of simplicity and order that epitomized earlier classicisms. By identifying elements common to all three arts, and carefully situating classicism within the broader sweep of modernist movements, Ziolkowski presents a refreshingly original view of the cultural life of the 1920s."--Publisher's website The triumph of avant-gardes in the 1920s tends to dominate our discussions of the music, art, and literature of the period. But the broader current of modernism encompassed many movements, and one of the most distinct and influential was a turn to classicism. In __Classicism of the Twenties__, Theodore Ziolkowski offers a compelling account of that movement. Giving equal attention to music, art, and literature, and focusing in particular on the works of Stravinsky, Picasso, and T. S. Eliot, he shows how the turn to classicism manifested itself. In reaction both to the excesses of neoromanticism and early modernism and to the horrors of World War I—and with respectful detachment—artists, writers, and composers adapted themes and forms from the past and tried to imbue their own works with the values of simplicity and order that epitomized earlier classicisms. By identifying elements common to all three arts, and carefully situating classicism within the broader sweep of modernist movements, Ziolkowski presents a refreshingly original view of the cultural life of the 1920s. Content: The theory -- Prewar classicism -- Classicism as term -- Classicism as reaction -- Prewar classicism -- An ironic retrospective -- Classicism of the twenties -- Wartime transitions -- The turning point -- The dissemination -- The turn to antiquity -- The practice -- Three exemplary figures -- The composer: Igor Stravinsky -- The artist: Pablo Picasso -- The writer: T.S. Eliot -- Summary -- Test cases -- The writers -- James Joyce -- Jean Cocteau -- Hans Henny Jahnn -- Paul Valéry -- The artists -- Giorgio de Chirico -- Gino Severini, Fernand Léger, and others -- Francis Picabia -- The composers -- Paul Hindemith -- Alfredo Casella -- Conclusions -- Classicism of the twenties? The theory -- Prewar classicism -- Classicism as term -- Classicism as reaction -- Prewar classicism -- An ironic retrospective -- Classicism of the twenties -- Wartime transitions -- The turning point -- The dissemination -- The turn to antiquity -- The practice -- Three exemplary figures -- The composer: Igor Stravinsky -- The artist: Pablo Picasso -- The writer: T.S. Eliot -- Summary -- Test cases -- The writers. James Joyce ; Jean Cocteau ; Hans Henny Jahnn ; Paul Valery -- The artists. Giorgio de Chirico ; Gino Severini, Fernand Leger, and others ; Francis Picabia -- The composers. Paul Hindemith ; Alfredo Casella -- Conclusions -- Classicism of the twenties? This title defines the theory and practice of 'classicism' as practised in the 1920s by a number of composers, writers, and artists, setting it off against other movements of the period that are customarily grouped together under the general heading of 'modernism'. It argues that classicism is a more precise term than neo-classicism during this period, since every classicism from antiquity to the present shares certain common qualities as well as characteristics of its own time Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Preface 12 Part 1: The Theory 18 1. Prewar Classicism 20 2. Classicism of the Twenties 52 Part 2: The Practice 86 3. Three Exemplary Figures 88 Part 3: Test Cases 140 4. The Writers 142 5. The Artists 163 6. The Composers 180 Part 4: Conclusions 204 7. Classicism of the Twenties? 206 Notes 216 Index 248 The triumph of avant-gardes in the 1920s tends to dominate our discussions of the music, art, and literature of the period. In this book, the author offers a compelling account of that movement. Focusing on the works of Stravinsky, Picasso, and T S Eliot, It shows how the turn to classicism manifested itself. Theodore Ziolkowski. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.