BELLAS ARTES

Bach fue un compositor prolífico cuyas piezas, que se esmeró en clasificar en diversas colecciones, forman un grandioso cosmos en el que todas sus inagotables ideas musicales encuentran su lugar. En este ensayo fundamental, Wolff ahonda en el análisis de su rica colección musical, que transciende las fronteras habituales entre épocas, géneros e instrumentos. Partiendo de una notable selección de piezas desde la temprana colección de las Seis tocatas para clave hasta obras tardías como El arte de la fuga y la Misa en si menor analiza en detalle el método compositivo de Bach atendiendo a la gran variedad de géneros instrumentales y vocales que abarca, ilustrativa de la profundidad y riqueza de su obra. Al rastrear la evolución del compositor, Wolff saca a la luz las aspiraciones y el legado de este gigante de la música de un modo innovador, desvelando la esencia de su arte a neófitos y expertos por igual.

Elvira de Hidalgo (1891-1980) fue una de las más destacadas sopranos del primer tercio del siglo XX, rescatada ahora del olvido gracias a esta monumental biografía de Juan Villalba Sebastián, que ha contado con la colaboración de musicólogos y especialistas de distintas nacionalidades. Nacida en Valderrobres, Teruel, Elvira fue reconocida por todos los públicos y críticos a nivel internacional como la mejor Rosina de su epoca, la pizpireta protagonista de la popular ópera de Rossini, El barbero de Sevilla, que cantó con exito en teatros de toda Europa, Hispanoamerica y Estados Unidos. A su vez, Elvira no fue una maestra de canto al uso, y los fundamentos de sus enseñanzas se cimentaron en aquella dilatada y exitosa carrera profesional, desarrollada durante más de tres decadas. Su más famosa discípula fue Maria Callas.

Longtime creative collaborators Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard present an illustrated tribute to the costumes of legendary Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s iconic films. Retracing Pier Paolo Pasolini’s entire cinematography—which continues to fascinate audiences almost half a century after his passing—Embodying Pasolini explores the costumes that brought his films to life. From The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), The Canterbury Tales (1972), and Arabian Nights (1974) to Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975), Pasolini’s movies are known for their provocative flair—making them staples of art cinema’s golden age. Styled by Danilo Donati, the costumes—garments, coats, and hats—enlivened the films with their rich textures, volume, color, and embellishments.

Barren red deserts dotted with post-colonial ghost towns, dilapidated inner city factories, discarded country homesteads and a succession of dormant, soot-filled power stations are just a handful of the desolate, yet visually rich narratives that form part of the abandoned Australia landscape. Digging beneath the sun-baked soil, Shane Thoms uncovers the modern ruins scattered over this arid continent and reveals a series of beautifully broken abodes hiding in the crevices of the Great Southern Land. Whispering of both long-gone happy family moments and human darkness, of working lives and the everyday pursuits of living, these atmospheric scenes allow us to reconstruct the stories of the past. Prompting conversations about a growing, diverse country with a complicated history, these abandoned places both connect as well as contrast the past and the present and chronicle the hidden remnants of the evolving Australian story.

A flâneur and photographer at once, Eugène Atget (1857–1927) was obsessed with walking the streets. After trying his hand at painting and acting, the native of Libourne turned to photography and moved to Paris. He supplied studies for painters, architects, and stage designers, but became enraptured by what he called “documents” of the city and its environs. His scenes rarely included people, but rather the architecture, landscape, and artifacts that made up the societal and cultural stage.

French artist, designer, and talented antique hunter Marin Montagut celebrates the joy of collecting everything from textiles to barware to architectural details, taking readers inside a dozen private homes, flea markets, and unusual ateliers to discover the most whimsical treasure troves in France. From a film prop house’s array of leather sporting goods and playing cards to a travel buff’s vintage maps and globes, and from a sculpture studio’s Grecian plaster casts to an amateur designer’s spiral staircase models, and from Montagut’s own wonder wall assemblages to a cook’s haven filled with porcelain dessert molds and copper pots—objects, when presented together as a series, create unforgettable interiors that radiate charm. Inspiration comes in repetition: wooden zigzag rulers with engraved numbers aligned on a wall in a herringbone pattern create an artful space. The spare wooden forms of capipotes—devotional statues used in religious processions, their eyes turned heavenward in ecstasy—and silver ex-votos can be the point of departure for the theme of an entire room. Montagut’s mood boards for each chapter provide endless ideas for the home.