TypeLimited 001
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TypeLimited is an ongoing art project by Joseph Alessio exploring relationships between objects, letterforms and occasionally music. This piece is a physical interpretation of a short composition by Claude Debussy—"La fille aux cheveux de lin"—written in 1909-1910, and a quote on music, dubiously attributed to Plato since the late 19th century. In the video the piece of art progresses as the piece of music develops and flows until it is finished, after which the piece of art takes on life of its own.
Claude Debussy
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Claude Debussy was a French Impressionistic composer, living from 1862 through 1918. His compositions frequently used unusual modes or were harbingers of the atonal movement and the Second Viennese School. This piece in particular, however—"La fille aux cheveux de lin"—is very lyrical and tonal in nature, and gets its title from a relatively contemporary poem. Originally composed for piano, it has been transcribed for a variety of other media including violin and piano or violin with orchestra. This recording in particular is by the current violinist extroardinaire Joshua Bell, and can be purchased here.
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Claude Debussy was a French Impressionistic composer, living from 1862 through 1918. His compositions frequently used unusual modes or were harbingers of the atonal movement and the Second Viennese School. This piece in particular, however—"La fille aux cheveux de lin"—is very lyrical and tonal in nature, and gets its title from a relatively contemporary poem. Originally composed for piano, it has been transcribed for a variety of other media including violin and piano or violin with orchestra. This recording in particular is by the current violinist extroardinaire Joshua Bell, and can be purchased here.
Quote And Attribution
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The quote itself reads as follows: “[Music] gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just, and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, but nevertheless dazzling, passionate, and eternal form.”
The quote is commonly attributed to Plato, but although many people have attempted to locate the original instance of this statement, to the best of my knowledge nobody has been able to do so. The earliest instance of which I am aware is from the book The Pleasures Of Life, Part II, by Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P. (Macmillan and Company, London and New York, 1889), p. 120. This source does indeed cite Plato as the author of the quote, but it appears that none of his extant writings contain these words. The source of the quote will remain a mystery, but both the sentiment and the unresolved authorship was interesting enough to incorporate it in this piece.
