Compare and contrast the fourteenth-century mihrab from Iran and Sultan-Muhammad’s Sultan Sanjar and the Old Woman from the Khamseh (Five Poems) of Nizami. How does the design reflect the purpose of each artwork?
What will be an ideal response?
1. The fourteenth-century mihrab from Iran combines calligraphic verses from the Qur’an with an intricate and rational pattern of geometric designs and floral motifs.
2. Because Islamic art cannot include human figures in a religious context, the mihrab features nonrepresentational designs that are visually engaging and spiritually uplifting.
3. Sultan-Muhammad’s painted illustration Sultan Sanjar and the Old Woman depicts an allegorical story about vanity.
4. The representation of human figures in the illustration is acceptable because it is part of a secular work made for the aristocracy.
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All of the following are true of Pirates of Penzance EXCEPT which statement?
a) it employs arias, duets, and accompanied recitatives b) it parodies established nineteenth-century operatic conventions c) its popularity was confined to England d) its world premiere nearly prompted a musician's strike
Improvisation
A. is no longer used to create performance. B. is an inherent part of the theatrical process. C. is solely a Western phenomenon. D. relies on a playwright's words.