How To Create A Multi-artistic Piece. (part 1 Of 2)

By Author: Andrew Hanna
Total Articles: 4
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In the late 19th century the music world was graced by an artist who would push the boundaries of music and art. Richard Wagner laid the foundation for performance art. Wagner combined several art forms into a cohesive unit. One of the primary elements that Wagner would use to create this holistic creation war music, which was the driving force for many of his pieces. But he incorporated other media such as scenic design, costumes, and intricate themes. The themes of many of his operas explored love between people and were expressed through mythical elements.
After the passing of Wagner, the collective art would remain dormant for 30 years after his death. In the early 20th century collective art was revived through Serge Diaghilav's Ballets Russes. His company would explore collective art in a different direction than Wagner. One of the primary aspects of Wagner's operas and Diaghilav's productions was that the Ballets Russes never used speech to narrate the story. Wagner on the other hand used speech and vocals to express and carry the narration. Additionally, the method of creation between the Ballets Russes and Wagner ...
... was that Wagner primarily produced almost every aspect of the performance, while on the other hand the Ballets had a expert in each field to give direction. For example, the story line to The Rite of Spring was created by Stravinsky, but the choreography was developed by Vaslov Nijinsky. In contrast to this piece, almost every aspect of Wagner's Das Rheingold was created by Wagner. Wagner created the music, designed the stage set, instructed the movement of the actors, etc. The primary difference in the method of between Wagner and the Ballets Russes is that the Ballets Russes relied on input from one expert from each media and Wagner used a solo approach.
Many of the above artistic works have been archived through various means such as scores, librettos, etc. But unfortunately the methods of creation for these productions have been rarely recorded and/or available for scholarly inspection. In the two examples above, one can find a libretto on each, which outlines the overall story, but does not help the artist to learn how to create a multi-artistic piece. In this installment of four articles, the questions that will be addressed and answered include: What is a libretto? How can a libretto aid in developing a story line? How does one choose a theme? Should the story development be linear or abstract?
The first issue that a collective artist must address is theme that will be explored. A theme the foundation of for a production. Themes can be simple or complex in design. DeBussey's Afternoon of a Fawn has a simple theme in that it explores the end of innocence and marks the beginning of adulthood. In contrast to this piece, Wagner's Flying Dutchman investigates the intricacies of a interpersonal relationship. In these two examples the themes are fairly straightforward. On the other hand, The Rite of Spring appears to be complex at first, but after analysis one will find that in the very least it explores the various aspects of primitivism.
After a theme has been chosen, the story line must be developed. The story line in essence brings life to a theme. The question that an artist must address is how one wants the story to develop? During this stage one must choose as to whether the story will develop in a linear or abstract form. A story that is linear generally has the simple format of a beginning, middle, and end. In contrast to this format, the abstract method generally shows various aspects of a whole. Furthermore, the abstract format can be a brief excerpt of a situation. Afternoon of a Fawn is an example of this method. It only shows a encounter of a woman meeting a Fawn in the forest. In relation to the first description of the abstract method, Act I of The Rite of Spring, exhibits a collage of ceremonies that are related to primitive society. Unlike Act I of The Rite of Spring, Act II follows a linear format. It begins with the selection of a virgin to be sacrificed. From this selection, the story progress into the next stage of development where the honoring of the chosen virgin is made public. Afterwards, the story ends with the sacrifice.
In addition to addressing the issue of whether a story line will be abstract or linear, the collective artist must address if dialogue will be used. If dialogue is used, then it should be created during this stage. The last part of this stage is to determine how the story will be divided into sections. The purpose of using sections, for the most part, is to maintain a clarity of thought. The hierarchy that a story can be divided into primarily include acts and scenes. An act, by definition is part of a whole and within each Act a portion of the theme is explored. Scenes, on the other hand, are the smallest part of an act and scenes essentially support the Act's proportionate theme.
After the collective artist has addressed the questions dealing with the theme and story line, now the artist needs to create a libretto. A libretto, in essence, is an outline detailing all of the elements of the production. It includes the dialogue, scenic design, stage lighting, and all other things. The purpose for a libretto gives the creative artist(s) a point of reference when they begin to produce the production. Some important features of the libretto include a synopsis of the production both whole and in part.. Additionally, the libretto will include any dialogue that is used. The last aspect that one will see in a libretto is any stage commands, lighting effects, visual elements, and all other things. These elements usually outline their function and when they will occur.
After an artist has created a theme, story line, and compiled it into a libretto. Then they move onto the next stage of the creative process. In the next issue, I will discuss this process and it relates to the various arts. Furthermore, I will detail the strengths and weakness of a few media.

About the Author Andrew Hanna is the CEO & Production Manager of At Hand Productions, Inc. At Hand Productions (http://www.AtHandProductions.com) is a leading Philadelphia concert and theatrical production company. Andrew Hanna has 20 years of composition experience and 16 years of performance experience. His compositions range from duets to large theatrical productions such as My Journal, Requiem for the Now, and Prophecies of War.