No photos this time but let's talk film.

I know it's been kind of quiet around here lately. I've been busy finishing up a new photo project, but I did see a new movie and a new network TV show that made me want to ask...what's up with all this non hero stuff?

Have you seen Deadpool? If not, you are in the apparent minority. It broke the box office record for a film opening in February. My wife piped in that it's an unfair comparrison seeing how ticket prices are outrageously higher than they were in decades past. Don't be a buzzkill, dear. I'm sure they allow for that obvious discrepancy. Who knew that the unhero would be the next big "thing" (no Fantasic 4 reference intended).

Talk about the new anti hero? Then we need to mention the ultimate unhero as namesake for a new network TV series called "Lucifer." Yes. That Lucifer. Who in the hell had the notion for viewers to root for his satanic majesty as the lead character in a detective series? I can't imagine the network bean counters not worrying about Proctor and Gamble pulling advertising or the Tea Party vilifying the show or a lack of viewers in the so called bible belt.  Did the network executives get together after a black mass and decide it was time for their misunderstood master to have his moment in the sun?

Hero movies have always been a mainstay of film and tv studios. From the little man successfully defeating the forces out to destroy him (mean bosses, evil banks or corporations, coveting neighbors, etc.) to the super hero fighting evil aliens or geniuses, we the public have engorged ourselves at the trough of derring do (archaic english for heroic acts). Why stop there? When I was a kid there were the Italian made Hercules movies starring Steve Reeves. Oh boy! I loved those films. He was quite the man in his lion skin (?) and bare chest with rippling muscles as he fought his way through the Italian version of his namesake's mythology. He always got the girl too, must have been that 1960s Italian Greek mythology at work.

Remember the stop action monsters? They would photograph the model and then move it a bit and photograph it again and again making it appear alive and on the attack. The actor would be fighting air while the superimposed monster (usually giant spiders or scorpions or three headed wolves or cyclops) flailed back in their direction. Great stuff. It was all we had. We were expected to supply the imagination to accept it as real (well...you know what I mean).

Today we take so many things for granted in the movies it's hard to surprise a kid when they see a film. That first shot of the Imperial cruiser following the scrolling words in the original Star Wars was the cinematic deathknell of having to stretch your imagination while sitting in the movie house. It was the tip of the iceberg. The development of computer generated movie making has never looked back. Digital photography's (see, we are talking photography) constant technological improvement and drop in cost of high quality CGI (computer generated images) has made it too easy to suspend belief. It isn't required for anyone to ignore the wires controlling the scary beast on screen or two guys dressed as Godzilla and Mothra duking it out claw to claw while crushing a miniature Tokyo, to enjoy a scifi thriller. Imagination isn't required when you see the splattered flesh and blood of monster or hero generated before your eyes by high end computer generated magic. We are becoming immune to the thrill of cheering for the hero. How many Superman, Spiderman, X Men, Wolverine, Avengers, Captain America, Batman, Green Lantern, Iron Man and Fantastic 4 movies can we absorb without screaming, "Enough!" I haven't included the too many Star Wars or Star Treks. They are even rebooting movies that haven't been around long enough to be considered classics. As with all good things (the music industry comes to mind) the lust for gold has caused a glut of similar product being dumped on the public and we, due to human nature in the land of excess, are becoming numb and disinterested. No more super heros please! We want something else. Someone out there knows what we want. A computer is whispering to them.

Next time: More about the Non Hero and some photos of the lastest stage show.

Shooting Live Performances or Seeing Things In The Right Light

 I love photographing live theater. It's something I really enjoy doing and have been doing it for a couple of decades. Now if you're job is at a Regional (State), College or Professional house you have the best in theatrical lighting to work with. Your equipment combined with a top notch lighting plot will leave you only looking for that special moment to snap and not muttering under your breath when that moment is in semi darkness for one reason or another. Actors are notorious for not feeling the light or missing their mark so carefully planned and executed by the Director and Lighting designer. I've seen a few stand like the Phantom with half their face hidden in darkenss due to an errant step. Now software can work wonders but the time spent processing 300+ pics can make it a nightmare to meet your deadline. Also consider that if the stage light isn't consistant then you can't have a template that will work across the board. Each photo starts the process from scratch leading to inconsistent results. It reminds me of my golfing experiences. You practice at the driving range and you think you might have things under control. You then progress to the links and find you can't hit the boradside of a barn much less sink a 5 foot putt. Every T shot is worse than the previous and as you approach the 18th T you're missing your driver, putter and most of your irons which are now scattered all over the back 9. You promise yourself that after this hole you will never play the game again and then.... You hit the ball 300 yards down the fairway. Your second shot is on the green and you putt out with an Eagle. Your love of golf is renewed. One hole made you forget the hell that was the other 17. You rush back over the course to gather your clubs from the roughs and the water traps where they were flung. Tomorrow is a new day!





Some thing else you might find is that many actors perform with their eyes closed. Now, I'm not picking on actors. I am to be included in their number, but a blink is a blink. There's no way someone's eyes are closed in every single shot! But there it is, the perfect photo during a group scene and one or more have their eyes closed. AARRGGHH! Next!

 The result can be the same when shooting a performance. 250 of the 300 snaps might be unusable or mediocre at best, but those 50 really good ones make the hours spent worthwhile. And you can hardly wait to hang or post them. After all you're providing a record...a memory for cast and crew and their friends and family. Remember, it's a punishable crime to film a stage play without permission (and good luck getting that). The performers don't get a chance to see what the audience showed their appreciation for during the curtain call. We as directors, designers, actors and crew become like a family during the production. We share the ups and downs of auditioning, casting, designing, rehearsing, building, blocking, memorizing, sewing, working concessions.taking tickets,

seating patrons, working concessions, selling ads, overcoming stage fright and sometimes stage mothers. We usually swear fidelity and promise to get together and not be strangers. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't work out that way. We make friends (it's a small community after all) but time passes quickly and real life has a tendency to intervene.

Acquiring the ability to be in the exact position to capture the essence of a "moment" whether comedic or dramatic is the road to the money shot. You know it when you see it. Those who have no theatrical background can do it as a technician; one who understands the construct (geometry) of a properly framed photo. Take enough and you are bound to capture that moment. The advantage of knowing how something is staged allows you to anticipate and be ready when that moment arrives.
Of course there are no guarantees. Remember, someone's eyes might be closed. To tell a story on myself, I conscientiously managed to reload my SD card holder in preparation for a session and forgot to put it back in the camera bag before I headed to the shoot. I got
set up and went to test my lighting and NO CARD. I dashed to  the only place open and paid what I pay for a 32gig card walking out with 4 gigs. No worries. No one knows but you.

Go to the theater.See a show. It doesn't have to be a musical. Some folks love them and some do not.
The experience can be life changing no matter what you see. Magic happens up on that stage and I love trying to capture just a moment of it.

Please enjoy the few pics I've sprinkled throughout the post. You might be able to guess the titles of the shows (if you don't already know) and if you have any questions drop me a line care of the blog.

It's In The Library, Siena Farewell

If you recall, when last we met high in the little Italian town of Siena, we were still in the Duomo gawking at the floor and the statuary works of Donatello and Michelangelo while being gawked at in return by the heads of many Popes and Emperors peering down (Siena style) from the high reaches of the cathedral. Sounds about right? Good.

We were guided through a rather small carved marble arch which served as an entrance on the left side of the nave which led into the Piccolomini Library which is a repository for beautifully illuminated books of religeous music (possibly written for choir voices). The preserved texts lie protected under glass in cases that surround the room. However the feast for the eyes surrounding one far surpasses gilded illustration, stave, notes and text. The frescos adorning the walls are beyond description, not just for their colorful depictions of events in the life of Pope Pius II (Siena's native son Enea Silvio Piccolomini), but for the use of depth of field. Look at the fresco in the far right corner. The artist used a vanishing point tricking both eye and brain into seeing a ceiling perspective that isn't there. Look at left and right and you can see the actual depth of the panels. The shot below makes the effect easier to see. I'm afraid my little Sony A5000 couldn't capture the scene in greater detail, but you get the idea.

Light entered the hall from the opposite side of the room and cast a bright glow augmented by flood lights situated around the room...not the best situation for other than casual photography.
The room also featured sculpture (visible above) with a Roman copy of the famous Greek statue the Three Graces occupying the center of the library. A Pieta by sculptor Alberto di Betto graces the room as well.

In doing a little research I found some of the books on display are psalters which simply means they hold the book of psalms written and illuminated by artisans of the day. All the books and manuscripts were the property of  Pope Pius II who, not so amazingly during that time period, was the uncle of Pope Pius III who commissioned the library in 1492 (when Columbus sailed the ocean blue...sorry...hard to resist) after his death.

Lastly and certainly not least(ly) is the ceiling. I know. I know. After a while all description of points of interest begin to blend becoming indistinguishable and lose their charm. Another ceiling in another church? The sistene chapel it isn't, but taken as a whole the Piccolomini Library is colorful and adds the sprinkles on top the ice cream cone that is the cathedral tour. The Duomo has riches enough and then, after walking through the carved marble entrance, another marvel greets your eyes. It's almost too much.

I realize that we in the modern world whose home country, which in my case offers a history under 300 years (Columbus had just sailed when the work on the library began), find it hard to wrap our heads around the riches poured by the Popes into seemingly countless cathedrals and basilicae while at the same time funding the so called crusades in the Holy Land.

Enter a cathedral in the US and you might find some riches of art or decor, but you will more likely be in a dark hall with votives flickering in a corner and a solemnity not apparent in Siena, Florence or Rome. That's considering only three cities in Italy. I'm sure it doesn't end there.You can understand a Martin Luther in rebellion of a church which allowed the rich to buy their brothers, sons, nephews or uncles positions in the clergy from priesthood to bishopric to cardinal. The accumulated wealth gathered from tithes used to add to the glory of the sitting Pope, wage war and/or fill church coffers.

It isn't about the church. It's about the opportunity to see the things only experienced in books or on TV.  To see the David up close can't be compared with the best HD photograph or video. You stand in the place where a young Michelangelo painted the sistene chapel ceiling. You walk into the coliseum and stand and see what the plebian and patrician Roman citizen saw (save for the combat between men and beast).  It permeates your hide and you feel it in your bones. We take so much for granted today. We are handed so much knowledge. We can live our lives without worrying about inventing the wheel or oil lamps for light or developing the concepts of philosophy or medicine. We can live our entire lives without having to consider man's nature and where he fits in the world.
The ruins of Rome and the vestiges of an ancient religion that has survived and flourished for over two thousand years are alone worth the time to see and experience.

Now before we say goodbye to Italy...
There is always more to see. I have some shots of the very interesting Baptistry of the Duomo in Florence I will be willing to share. So, maybe one more trip in Italy. Back to Florence! If I can locate those shots. Stay tuned.

Going Going Gone?

David Bowie's death came as something of a shock to me.  I had just watched 5 Years the night before and had found the video Lazarus for the new recording and was amazed at how out there Mr Bowie was in reinventing his "sound" for the album. I did notice he looked rather gaunt and surprisingly aged, but put that off to video purposed character make up. I made plans to purchase the new recordng the following day.

I was stunned when the news reached me. I was hurt. We had lost another icon and one who was unique in the entertainment world. There won't be another. It's not possible.

My only chance to see him perform was on the Diamond Dogs tour while on assignment for the paper. I was unable to set up an interview but was in the audience to write a review of the show. The arena was filled with men, women and (somewhere in between) all raving fans of Ziggy and The Spiders.

No photos of the show allowed, please. It was magical from the dimming of the lights to David stepping out among the decaying slyscrapers their searchlights peering into the darkness of the arena. Bowie came on stage solo, the band sequestered stage left but didn't interact with the star. It was different. Things had ch...cha...changed. No more Ziggy. No more Spiders.
But what a band! Mike Garson played piano and keys. Earl Slick replaced Mick Ronson on lead guitar. Tony Newman was on drums with Herbie Flowers handling the bass chores. Additional players for the tour included: David Sanborn, Carlos Alomar, Doug Rauch, Luther Vandross, Willie Weeks and on and on. The players changed throughout and the weight of the production almost crushed the star (figuratively, physically and financially) it was daring in scope and dramatic in tone.

With  his death we are left with few if any of the other aging standout artists making relevant noise.
Rod is still going but offering jazz standards and classic post war songs appealing to...? He's certainly lost what little cutting edge he's had since the Maggie May days. Mick and the Stones are still there but in a geriatric form. I'm waiting for them to open for a lengthy run in Vegas at Caesar's. Neal Diamond? Sorry not a rocker since 1967 and even then, not much. The Who? When they perform today what was done by 4 now takes 12. It's more of a history lesson. Sting just bombed on Broadway and Peter Gabriel is so far out in left field he's hard to find. Sir Paul is still recording but with little impact on music. I don't mean to leave out the likes of James Brown, Hendrix or Freddie Mercury. They are included in the list of icons who had a hand in shaping popular music.

So let's leave those products of the 1960's and 1970's behind and get to the real question. Who is there to pick up the mantle? Is there someone out there ready to lead whether by accident or design? What little Pop/Rock innovation that started in this country left decades ago. The recording industry's desire to catch lightning in a bottle over and over led to stagnation and hundreds of same sounding groups and releases. Greed was and is in full bloom.

The joke is the industry changed. Listeneners have almost stopped using CD's as their main source of musical entertainment and now stream to  their very sophisticated MP3 devices picking and choosing songs and artists for their vast mix libraries. Add the fact that anyone with a little money, talent and the internet can record, release and sell their own music on the web without being controlled by lawyers or contracts. Anarchy!

The most powerful individual artists appear to be the ladies. Forget Madonna (old news but still packs them in...a future in Vegas?) but Pop queens like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga tour in monster shows as does crossover star Taylor Swift, but it's not the same thing. Pink on tour crosses genres and bangs out a powerful rendition of Queen's Bohenian Rhapsody as well as a couple of Led Zeppelin tunes. But homage isn't innovation. The ostentatious if not outrageous nature of their shows may be entertaining however the music hasn't caused a shift in the timeline or sent popular music in a new direction (no, not referencing that boy band).

Being the geezer that I am and having been a newspaper columnist covering records and artists over a 13 year period starting back in the 1970's I had the pleasure of personal discovery. Every day was like Christmas with record companies sending me their new releases. I was hearing the artists before they were famous or radio stations added them to their playlists. When they were on tour I was invited to interview them and review the concerts. It was a dream come true. But over the years the dream has faded as those musicians pass away and I have yet to hear anyone come along to replace them.

There is an old saying,"there's nothing new under the sun." In music there are a finite number of notes that can be arranged in a finite number of patterns. Certain musical styles restrict the number and arrangements even further. The chance for a "new" thing or person to have the impact of a Bowie or Freddie Mercury or Marc Bolen or John Lennon or Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin or James Brown is astronomically small.  Maybe it will be happen but most likely not in my lifetime. Hopefully, dear reader, it will happen in yours.

Next time:

Say goodbye to Siena.

Siena Part 3: It's What's Inside That Counts or It Remains To Be Scene.

Welcome back Dear reader. When last we left Siena there was much said about the marble ediface of the Duomo di Siena. We even learned a new word for old world painting of ancient marble things, but we have yet to set foot inside the place. That we will do in Part 3 of our visit to the Tuscan town of Siena.

Walking through the bronze doors and after taking a moment to adjust to the change in light, your eyes behold an architectural and artistic visual assault of massive proportions. The lack of a single mind guiding the hands that crafted the interior of this temple of the faithful high above the town doesn't diminish the amazing sights within. Somehow parts of it reminded me more of what I had seen as decoration inside a mosque in the Holy Land...but that's another story.

The black and white striped marble motif was repeated on the interior columns (we must be in Siena) and when you look up a gaggle (what's a group of Popes called? Wait. There can't be a group of Popes. One  passes away prior to another being chosen.) of Popes are staring down as if to make sure you don't misbehave when attending mass!







Aside from statuary, pulpits, stained glass, altars and the dome itself there is the floor. The floor of the Duomo is a precious work of art in itself. It took over 200 years to finish, meaning the artist who conceived the design didn't live to see it completed. The floor is made up of intricate mosaics and is rarely seen in its entirety. Sunlight and human traffic would have eroded what is a marvel of craftsmanship and design.

So for the moment we look down. Not easy to do it photgraphic justice with difficult sight angles and the glare from above, but you can appreciate the craftsmanship seen at left. The 56 panels reach from nave to apse creating an interlocking carpet of stunning proportions. Some of the mosaic work was done with cut pieces of various colored marble fitted together to create a scene and others done by carving the design into the marble and then filling it with black stucco and pitch. The floor was the work of over 40 artists and artisans. and was begun in the 14 century.

Photo credit  Tuscany Arts

It so happened that our visit came during the only time last year the entire floor was uncovered. Seeing I was unable to shoot from the ceiling I borrowed a shot from the Tuscany Art website (credited above) in order to give you a better idea of how incredible an accomplishment it is.





Next we look up. I'm sure you recall those watchful plaster busts (172 torsos with 344 carved eyes)starting with their sitting Pope Lucius III going all the way back to Saint Peter staring down from high above. It still seems kind of creepy if you ask me.  Just below them (and for a change of pace) are the heads of 36 emperors (above). You can see a star motif decorates the ceilings eliminating the need for frescos (there are frescos, but not on the ceiling). The stars also decorate the dome all the way to the the top ring surrounded by winged cherubs. Just looking at the photo of the dome seems to draw one  up and raises one's spirits.

 As a place of worship for the simple townsfolk the ostentatious display of riches had to be overwhelmingly glorius. The power of the church on display. The cathedral was built on the grounds of a 9th century church and Bishops house. According to my research in 1058 a synod was held there and Pope Nicholas III  was elected deposing Benedict X. The history of the building of Duomo di Siena is dramatic and over the span of centuries it has weathered war (both archaic and modern) as well as the Black Death, but I'm not a historian nor do I want to bog you down with lots of references so if you're interested hit the wikipedia under Siena Cathedral or go to the Tuscany Art  site I cited earlier. They will do a much better job than I could ever hope to.



I want to get to the artistic contributions made by two namesakes of the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles. First, a young Michelangelo was commissioned to complete the statues in the altar at left. Our guide said he never finished, moving on to better paying, grander if not greater things. Apparently no one was available over the centuries to get the last piece done. The spot upper right, stands empty centuries later.

About the stripes...there is no joke such as: What is black and white and black and white and black and white? A nun falling down the stairs. (Knuckles got smacked with a ruler for that one at St Martin of Tours School) Black and white are the offical colors of Siena and are supposed to represent the black and white horses of the city founders, Senius and Aschius. There's that horse thing again. I'm just glad it didn't become the fashion statement responsible for 20th Century prison garb. Also, I kept thinking zebra.



Turtle namesake number two Donatello contributed far more of his artistry in sculpture and paint than did Michelangelo.

But we will save that for the final segment of our trip to Siena. We haven't been to the library yet!

Remove it from its sleeve. Center it on the spindle. Set it at 33 1/3 and Drop the needle.

When you carefully lowered the tone arm and the stylus found the first tracking groove of the record album, there came a comforting "bumpf" and perhaps momentary static. I miss that. Those of us who lived through our stereo rigs and saw music as "meat and potatoes" bought 12 inch LPs (Long Playing) and believed ourselves to be riding the peak of audiophile entertainment!
Adorning the protective sleeve was something called "album art". I own one of many coffee table books available filled with award winning paintings, drawings and photographic work featured on the covers. There was the famous (Pink Floyd's Hipgnosis covers) and the infamous (the Beatles with raw meat and decapitated baby dolls) but it was usually eye catching and could cause you to reach for the item just to get a closer look.
There was plenty of room on the cover sleeve for something called liner notes. Musicians, producers, publicists, anyone of note could provide a discography or biographical information on band members (or solo artist) or offer tribute as an admiring critic or co-performer. And you didn't need a magnifying glass to read it. If the jacket folded out you were in heaven.  There was room for lyrics and/or the list of who in the group played which instrument on each cut! It could be a treasure trove of information taking your enjoyment of your favorite band's release to the next level.

Then things changed.

I will skip the 8 track tape period. Any medium that clunked in the middle of a song to change direction in the player was laughable to those of us who loved recorded music. A favorite tune cut in two? Unthinkable.

Cassette tapes caused things to change. One could create their own mix of tunes or record a complete album and play it in the car or at the beach or (eventually) anywhere a Sony Walkman could travel. As far as liner notes...trifolded mini inserts with printing requiring at least 20/20 vision to read and miniaturized cover art spelled the end of an era.

 LPs were still king, but the practice of making high quality cassette copies for your car or distributing ones to friends and family threw up a red flag and the copyright infringement battle was on ("Home Taping is Killing Music" was the refrain.). It took years of legal wrangling to settle on the fact that evidence presented regarding the destruction of the music industry was inconclusive, Some changes were made to the copyright laws, but nothing earthshattering. After a time it became a tempest in a teapot.

No worries. Say hello to the compact disc.

With record platters there were clicks and pops and skips caused by needle wear or improper handling. With cassette tapes a dirty rubber roller could eat your tape or cause it to snap or stretch out making for wobbly tunes. But the new compact disc format spun untouched by anything but laser light. Nothing is lost in the translation from encoded 1s and 0s via light transmission compressed to mp3 audio! A disc could last forever! No scratches or pops and clicks. Amazing digital reproduction (DDD= digitally recorded, mixed and mastered) presenting a clear danger to your ears and speakers if played too loud. My first DDD recording was of Mozart's Requiem and the warning was clearly stated on the case. I fried the tweeters in my Pioneer three ways. The cases were much bigger than cassettes but at a quarter the size of an LP there was little in the way of art to pull the eye. Most came with multipage booklets or pullout sheets with lyrics or info similar to what was printed in the past but a magnifying glass was still required (albeit with a less powerful lens). This was the best format. No more noise in the recording. We now could enjoy clean and clear digitally encoded music but, for some, at the expense of analog tonal quality. Debatable to many.

Time and technology marched on and the CD appears to be sliding into oblivion. Hello MP3 player and streaming web stations! Now we can stuff hours of music on a tiny device we can play through headphones or via bluetooth connection in our car or on the beach on in any/every room in the house! Of course a computer is required which is another whole story, but music is becoming more a personal medium than ever. The commercial recording industry as we know it is in decline. Artists don't need a label to hold their contract or release their album in order for it to be heard or purchased by their adoring fans.
Since recording has gone digital anyone with instruments, a computer, DAW (digital audio workstation) software and an audio interface can make a record in a bedroom or a bathroom or a closet or on stage in a club! We're not here to debate whether home or pro studio product sounds better. Just the fact it is possible for anyone with those simple resources to make a "record" is astounding.

Now, with all this being said, over the past few decades there has been a resurgance in the sales of 12 inch LP albums.
Shop around and you will find the format is making a comeback. And of all the formats which do you think is most dear to buy? Yup. The LP is by far the most expensive format.
Adelle's 25 is available as an MP3 download for $10, a CD for $15.99 and in VINYL for $23.99.
Most major retailers now have a small vinyl section in their stores and, apparently, are doing well enough with them to stock more.

Money Magazine in a recent article cited vinyl revenues are music's fastest growing segment! In the first half of 2015 CD sales sagged 32.5% while vinyl surged 52.1% .
Both ad supported as well as pay streaming services tallies eclipse that of vinyl sales by a wide margin their rate of growth only 50% of the erupting LP market.

So dust off grandpa's old turntable and look for the audio connections on the back of your entertainment center (AV tuner or surround system). You might need a new belt, cartridge or stylus. You might need to spend a few hundred for a direct drive turntable if you really want the good stuff.
But get ready for a resurgence of album art and liner notes. Put away the magnifying glass, slap on the headphones (the ones without the microphone), drop the needle, sit back and enjoy the analog tones and richness of stereo on vinyl as you read the cover from front to back and top to bottom.

What is old is new again. Another generation will pull the 12 inch platter from its cover, gently remove it from the paper sleeve, flip side one up, place it softly on the spindle, wipe away the dust with that special cloth and gently drop the tone arm on the lead-in to the first cut. Next comes a small pop and once the stylus finds the groove...heaven!

Comments? Comments. Comments!

I've heard that clicking the comments button on the blog is more of a finger exercise, than a way to communicate one's thoughts.

It hasn't fallen on deaf ears. I've done everything I can on my end to allow comments but it appears you have to sign up with a Google account and then promise your first born and your right eye for access. Until the issue gets sorted out I've set up a comments email address (commentsshotspot@gmail.com) and put a note in the Please Note box on the blog. I can't promise a response to every comment but I will post them as time permits. So if you have something to add to a post or would like to share a related/opposing experience please feel free. Keep it clean and concise and let the comments flow!

The language is English (obviously) but I believe Google Translate will work in Gmail. We shall see!

Hope to hear from you.

Respectfully,
MD

A Duomo here. A Duomo there. A Duomo everywhere? (Siena Part 2)

When last we left Siena we were climbing up through the racing neighborhoods making our way to the focal point of the ancient city. In Italy that would be...The Cathedral of Siena (Duomo di Siena).

I know. I know. Another cathedral in Italy. What a surprise. The long trek up the hilly passages they call streets, to it's distant, misty spire we saw while getting off the bus (see photo in Part 1) was an arduous journey but, after gaining entrance, the magnificence and oddities awaiting us made for an unforgettable experience.

Last time out I mentioned the lack of any patch of green. I stand corrected. There are a few well placed patches guarded by a fence and, in this case, a wrought iron rhino. The fenced in area is where the horse drawn to race for Contrada della Selva gets to graze or stand or turn around (not enough room for a trot or a canter much less a gallop) in the fresh air. The stable is through the gate and, since the horse actually lives outside the city proper and only stays here pre race, there is little need (nor room) for more sumptuous surroundings. I was noticing the condition of the brickwork done centuries ago and if I lived here I might be a bit nervous about opening and closing windows or slamming doors. Just saying...it's a long way down.

We wound our way up the worn stone streets until we arrived at the duomo courtyard. Standing there it looked to me as if there were dueling artists battling for top honors in most statues of Saints, Popes, animals and gargoyles to adorn the exterior of a cathedral in Italy.





It boggles the mind to see what was jutting out from the corners of the upper deck of the Duomo. The intricacy of the carving and the detail was astonishing even when viewed from far below. By today's standards I would say it was a tad overdone, but that's just me. I like things simple. Give me Saints or animals or even a gargoyle or two, but look at this thing!








If you've been following my Italy posts you will already know I have a thing for the incredible doors I've seen in the country. They are not just a portal they are a defense. The size and materials used would require a  battering ram and a regiment to unhinge. There was such a door at the main entrance to Duomo di Siena. It wasn't the size we experienced and took photos against in Rome, but it is an impressive ornate bronze (I assume) work of art.  Loved it. If you think about it there were relics and riches within, such as the bones of Saints, art (now priceless) and objects of gold belonging to the church. Huge sturdy doors were of great importance.  in this particular case the bronze door at left has adorned the duomo since 1946. Ididn't mean 1469. It was reportedly installed while the Germans still occupied the town (even though the date is post WWII). Just the fact that contruction started in the 13th century

and continued into the 20th century is a testament to...uh...
something? The doors were a nice touch.


The bell tower we saw from  the distance appeared to be striped in the manner of a lighthouse on the shoreline. I suppose in a way it does/did shine a light guiding the faithful to the celebratory gathering within its doors. The motif is carried throughout the exterior and ends on the sections of the building added over time.










At left you will notice the three gables (triangular peaks) adorning the upper facade. What can't be seen here is the exquisite mosaics at the center of the triangles.Work on the lower portion of the structure started in 1284 continuing on and off for centuries.




The mosaics were made in Venice in 1878. The center panel pictured depicts the Coronation of the Virgin.




















The other panels were smaller in size but as rich in color and craftsmanship. The mosaic to the left depicts the Nativity and below the Presentation of Mary at the Temple.

All three are striking to see glistening in the bright sunshine as is the polychrome striped marble of the original facade.


At first I thought the marble was constructed using a black marble for the stipes. But my curiosity stimulated research for a definitition of  polychrome marble informed me that the stone stripes were
painted. Ancient Greeks and Roman sculptures were ornately decorated with colorful paint and gilted as were certain structures and buildings. Much of the Roman statuary (cast or marble)was destroyed by Christians as pagan symbols during the rise of the early church. When what was left of Roman art was "rediscovered" during the Renaissance the decorations adorning the sculptures didn't survive the previous centuries neglect giving rise to our reverence of glistening white marble figures standing frozen in time. A painted marble statue of a Roman soldier...? A painting I could see, but don't slap polychrome on that pretty white marble.


In Part Three we will enter through the bronze doors and have a peek inside.


*Thanks for the additional information Wiki and Tuscan Tourism. I was there but...some details were lost in the translation! See you next time.