Echoes of Light: The Dialogue Between Impressionist Art and Music

This lecture explores the fascinating interplay between Impressionist painting and music during the late 19th and early 20th centuries—a time when artists and composers sought to capture fleeting sensations, shifting colors, and the subtleties of mood over rigid form. Through the works of painters like Claude Monet and composers such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, we will examine how both artistic movements used color, texture, and atmosphere to evoke emotion rather than define it. Attendees will gain insight into how brushstrokes can mirror musical harmonies, how sound can evoke light, and how both art forms reflect a shared desire to portray the impermanence and fluidity of human perception.

Andrew Celentano studied violin and performed at Carnegie Hall with the MIT Symphony Orchestra with Brian Epstein. He was self-taught on the piano starting at age 13 and started taking serious classical lessons about 25 years ago. Andrew plays occasionally at the Boston Symphony Orchestra Café in Symphony Hall and also composes his own material. He released his “Wanderer in Dreamland” CD in 2013 and recently released “Classical Sojourn,” featuring performances of 18 of his favorite pieces. You can hear his music on Pandora, Spotify and other streaming platforms. Andrew interviews other composers weekly at www.AComposersCorner.com.