LWD Art Appreciation ~ April

I’m really enjoying this art appreciation series and trust you are, too. I’ve got a great selection for April and hope you’ll explore these with me. Set aside some time throughout the month to experience the arts. You’ll be richer for it. 

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ART APPRECIATION
APRIL 2023

 

POET

April is National Poetry Month. It’s also the month of Shakespeare’s birthday (probably April 23, 1564) so who better to choose for this month’s poet? 

It’s easy to find his sonnets online. Here are a couple of links:

Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Or, if you’d like to add to your own library, here is the book I’ve chosen:

All the Sonnets of Shakespeare

ARTIST

John James Audubon

I chose this artist from a list of artists with April birthdays. And then I read this:

Audubon faces backlash…

I considered selecting a different artist but decided that this was an opportunity to share what I had just learned. I think it’s better to know the truth and be honest about the fact many famous and talented people had some very unsavory beliefs and actions. 

Rather than a book about Audubon as a person, I have chosen to focus on his art via this coloring book. I want to spend a lot less time online and one of the things I’d like to replace that time with is coloring. 

The Audubon Birds Coloring Book

COMPOSER

Sergei Rachmaninoff was born April 1, 1873 so this is his 150th birthday!

My mom is a pianist and as a child I used to ask her to play Rachmaninoff’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” for me every so often. I didn’t know who the composer was back then, though. 

 

Rachmaninov: 15 facts about the great composer

He said, “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”

Rachmaninoff’s 150th Birthday Trivia quiz

 

Rachmaninoff vinyl records are a bit of a challenge to find at a reasonable price. When I first started working on this post there weren’t any on Amazon unless I was willing to pay $1oo or more (and I’m not) or purchase used. So I found this CD:

Rachmaninov: Complete Piano Concertos; Rhapsody

But I looked again just now and found this:

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto 3

Here is the playlist I created and will be enjoying this month:

 

CLASSIC FILM

I love Doris Day movies but I don’t think I’ve seen this one. I’m definitely going to rectify that this month!

As of the time I’m writing this, I don’t see it streaming free anywhere. It’s available to rent on Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube and elsewhere. Or if you’d like to own the DVD, here is the link:

April in Paris

 

I hope you’ll enjoy adding a bit of the arts to your life this month. I know I will!

LINKS TO PREVIOUS ART APPRECIATION POSTS…

January:

LWD Classic Film of the Month ~ Breakfast at Tiffany’s

LWD Poet of the Month ~ Blake

LWD Artist of the Month ~ Manet

LWD Composer of the Month ~ Vivaldi

 

February:

LWD Classic Film of the Month ~ A Raisin in the Sun

LWD Poet of the Month ~ Langston Hughes

LWD Artist of the Month ~ Degas

LWD Composer of the Month ~ Chopin

 

March:

LWD Art Appreciation ~ March 2023