The differences between media of arts architecture, literature, cinema, music, opera, threatre, and dance

This is a 2 part assignment.

The average length of response to each of the question should be between 250 words.

Assignment 1:

Answer these essay questions:

1. Consider the role of an “art museum”. Based on your reading from the textbook as well as additional work you may do on the Internet, compare and contrast the success of the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha in terms of both their form as art and their function as a museum. (E.g. Just because a building is beautiful does not mean that it automatically functions well as a museum.)

2. The development of eReaders and their growing popularity in both single function devices (such as the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite) and in more general purpose devices (such as Apple’s iPad) is slowing if not reversing the trend away from reading books. Compare and contrast the reader’s experience between the use of an eReader with that of a paper book, does the technology support or inhibit the full “literature experience”, and argue whether or not the “book is dead”. Defend your position.

3. Attack or defend the following.

“Video (including cinema) is more ‘powerful’ than prose in terms of its ability to evoke an emotional response. It is possible for a one-minute video clip to bring tears to the eyes of an amazing number of viewers. There are no written modern proses of such a modest size that can accomplish this.”

Be concrete and specific technical qualities of both forms as you make your case.

4. It’s been asserted that video games have already overtaken movies as the heart of modern social experiences. Others believe video games are just a new genre that will bring new vitality to traditional movies. Use the notions from the textbook and the Internet to establish an assessment framework to provide the information required to either support or refute the notion that video games are just a new genre of movie. In your answer be sure to demonstrate what is typically meant by a genre using your framework with recognized examples, test the framework with one or video games, and then provide and support your conclusion.

5. Using the concept of genres and classifications of cinema and the standard elements of cinema, consider the winners of the most recent Oscars in all of its categories and attack or defend the following.

“The Oscars show clear favoritism and a commercial bias when it comes to recognizing quality.”

Support your answer with concrete examples using the recognized classifications and cinematic technical aspects.

Assignment 2:

Answer these essay questions:

1. Compare and contrast opera with the musical. Attack or defend the following assertion. “The musical is just a modern day version of opera.” Use critical analysis and the key aspects of these forms and the arts more broadly to support and defend your answer.

2. Identify one of your favorite pieces of music, one that has had a real impact on you. Critical analyze the piece using the concepts from the textbook. Be sure to address those aspects of importance to you.

3. From your reading, select an opera, watch it, and reflect on the experience. If this is one of your first exposures to opera, perform a critical analysis using the key aspects of this form of art as your basis. If you are familiar with opera then compare and contrast this opera to one of your favorites using the notions of critical analysis and the key aspects of this form.

4. When movies were first being developed, some imagined that most movies would be little more than the capture of theatre performance on film. We now know that movies are clearly a different experience. Use the notions of genres and critical analysis to compare and contrast movies with theatre to highlight and explain their similarities and differences. Use concrete examples to support your position.

5. Dance is actually two different art forms. One is an observed performance, such as “Singing in the rain” with Gene Kelly. The other is an interactive performance where you are dancing. These two forms are totally different and yet they are intimately connected. Use critical analysis to explore these two forms and use concrete examples to support your position.