Piano World Home Page Forums Restricted and Archives The Coffee Room A wonderful art-related anecdote

I read this in a letter to the NYTimes Arts & Leisure section some time ago and I saved it because it is so wonderful. Since it makes a statement that can be applied to many arts, including music, I thought I would share it.

"...a marvelous anecdote about the poet-filmmaker-artist Jean Cocteau. He was taken in the 1950's by a friend to see the first Paris showing of an American Cinemascope film. As they were leaving the theater, the friend asked Cocteau for his reaction, to which he replied: "The next time I write a poem, I shall use a larger sheet of paper."

Reminds me of a story about a percussionist, no longer employed. It seems that there's a limit to how much sound one can get from a triangle. Conductors are forever suggesting that the percussionist use a larger beater(which doesn't help). This particular percussionist lost his patience, and responded "Only if the orchestra would sound louder if you used a larger baton."

I did see the Andalusian Dog. There's a scene with an eye...

B. Alden, yes I saw Un Chien years ago. That eye scene is pretty wild.

Ha! I suppose that is something one could say about Jackson Pollock's canvases... they are original.