Variation on a theme

Variation on a theme

Variation on a theme is a fundamental aspect in art history.

"Graphic artists as well as musical composers sometimes work (or play) with variations on a theme." [Lewis-Williams and Dowson, 1988]

An example is William Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors", in which key plot elements are taken from two Roman comedies of Plautus. From "Menaechmi" comes the main premise of mistaken identity between identical twins with the same name, plus some of the stock characters such as the comic courtesan. In "Menaechmi" one of the twins is from Epidamnus; Shakespeare changes this to Ephesusand includes many allusions to St Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians. From "Amphitruo" he borrows the twin servants with the same name, plus the scene in Act 3 where a husband is shut out of his house while his wife mistakenly dines with a look-alike. The frame story of Egeon and Emilia derives from "Apollonius of Tyre", also a source for "Twelfth Night" and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre". [Paul Skrebels, Sieta van der Hoeven " [http://books.google.com/books?id=kv20FGSFxKgC For All Time?: Critical Issues in Teaching Shakespeare] " p.64]

ee also

*Variation (music)
*Variation (ballet)
*Standing on the shoulders of giants
*Switcheroo
*Detournement
*the well known ancient controversy between Eupolis and Aristophanes, with accusations of plagiarism

Notes

References

*Lewis-Williams, J.D. and T.A. Dowson (1988) " [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0011-3204%28198804%2929%3A2%3C201%3ATSOATE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D The signs of all times: Entoptic Phenomena in Upper Palaeolithic Art] ". Current Anthropology April 1988, Vol. 29, No. 2: pp. 201-245 doi: 10.1086/203629 [http://www.wynja.com/arch/entoptic.html]
*Robert S. Miola (1994) " [http://books.google.com/books?id=hiY-wWTOdFwC Shakespeare and Classical Comedy: The Influence of Plautus and Terence] "

External links

*" [http://www.drinkerbiddle.com/files/Publication/093b9d24-f5c7-4838-a335-6a5d4b279ee8/Presentation/PublicationAttachment/27178705-0f2d-4bc4-afa7-f3baf77a8470/Seidel_article_Apr_01.pdf A Case of Variations on a Theme] " by Arthur H. Seidel "Philadelphia Bar Association Quarterly Magazine", Spring 2001 vol. 64 n.1
*Rockwell J, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE5DA133FF931A35752C1A960948260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FZ%2FZorn%2C%20John Zorn Variations on Themes by Morricone] , "NY Times", November 2, 1986
* [http://law.udayton.edu/LawReview/documents/31-1/Gupta.pdf “I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR” – CONTEMPORARY ART AND THE ROLE OF STYLE IN COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT ANALYSIS] by Arjun Gupta


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • variation — [ varjasjɔ̃ ] n. f. • 1314; lat. variatio 1 ♦ État de ce qui varie au cours d une durée; suite des changements qui affectent ce qui varie. ⇒ changement, évolution. « La variation du regard en vitesse, en direction, en durée » (Valéry). « La… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Variation — means a change within population* Biodiversity * Genetic diversity, differences within a speciesPhysics: * Magnetic variation, difference between magnetic north and true north, measured as an angle * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the …   Wikipedia

  • variation — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable, dramatic, enormous, extreme, great, major, marked, significant, substantial, tremendous, wide …   Collocations dictionary

  • variation */*/*/ — UK [ˌveərɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] / US [ˌverɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] noun Word forms variation : singular variation plural variations 1) a) [singular/uncountable] the existence of differences in amount, number, level, form etc wide/considerable variation: There is… …   English dictionary

  • variation — var|i|a|tion [ ,veri eıʃn ] noun *** 1. ) singular or uncount the existence of differences in amount, number, level, form, etc.: wide/considerable variation: There is considerable variation in size, method of construction, and design. It s an… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • variation — noun 1 (C, U) a difference or change from the usual form of something (+ in): There are wide regional variations in house prices. 2 (C) something that is done in a way that is different from the way it is usually done (+ on): an interesting… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • Thème et Variations (Fauré) — Thème et variations sont un cycle de variations pour piano de Gabriel Fauré composées en 1897. Structure Thème (quasi adagio en ut dièse mineur): Marche funèbre en rythmes pointés: Variation I: thème exposé à l a main gauche. variation II:… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thème et variations — ( Theme and Variations ) (1932) is a composition by Olivier Messiaen for solo violin and piano, and lasts around ten minutes. It is considered as equally characteristic as his Quatuor pour la fin du temps and is as immediately accessible as that… …   Wikipedia

  • Thème et variations — Variation En musique, la variation est un procédé permettant de produire de multiples phrases musicales par des modifications apportées à un « thème ». Les modifications peuvent être de différente nature : mélodique le thème subit… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Variation — Va ri*a tion, n. [OE. variatioun, F. variation, L. variatio. See {Vary}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing; modification; alternation; mutation; diversity; deviation; as …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”