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Beyond Civilized- Von Bulow vis a vis Wagner

Cosima Liszt, the daughter of the illustrious composer Franz Liszt, married conductor and pianist Hans Von Bulow. While married to Von Bulow, she became pregnant three times with the offspring of German composer Richard Wagner, bearing Wagner three children: Isolde, Ava, and Siegfried. Although she initially denied the affair, Cosima eventually left Von Bulow to move in with Wagner. Von Bulow’s response? In a letter contained in Norman Lebrecht’s “Book of Musical Anecdotes,” Von Bulow declares his wife’s lover to be superior to himself in every way: “You have preferred to devote your life and the treasures of your mind and affection to one who is my superior, and far from blaming you, I approve your action from every point of view and admit you are perfectly right…the only consoling though has been that Cosima is happy over there.” Below:

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Salvador Dalí and the Cauliflower-stuffed Rolls Royce

by Leticia Marie Sanchez         Salvador Dalí mastered the art of creating his own image. Dalí shocked audiences everywhere with his flamboyant persona. A limousine or taxi was just too dull for the outrageous surrealist. So Mr. Dali drove a Rolls Royce stuffed to the brim with…. cauliflower.   The veggie-mobile was the automobile of choice for Mr. Dali as he drove to La Sorbonne University in Paris to give a lecture.  His speech was entitled, “Phenomenological Aspects of the Critical Paranoiac Method.”   During the speech, Dali exclaimed to the two thousand listeners in the audience, “Everything departs from the rhinoceros horn! Everything departs from Jan Vermeer’s The Lacemaker! Everything ends up in the cauliflower!“ Time Magazine, Dec. 26, 1955                                             

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A FOR ART- Icons of Style- A Century of Fashion Photography- A MUST SEE at the Getty Center

A for Art ICONS OF STYLE: A CENTURY OF FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY- A MUST SEE AT THE GETTY CENTER By Leticia Marie Sanchez June 26–October 21, 2018 Icons of Style at the Getty is NOT-TO-BE MISSED for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, the presentation itself is visually compelling. Iconographic fashion photography surround dynamic costumes ranging from Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Madeleine Vionnet, Madame Grès, Issey Miyake, and Alexander McQueen. Secondly, and more importantly, this exhibit is the first of its kind. Photo Left: Sarah Moon, 1941, Sveta for Hussein Chalayan, 2000; Carbon print; 2011.52; 57.2 × 43.4 cm (22 1/2 × 17 1/16 in.) Copyright:© Sarah Moon Historically, museums have not actively collected fashion photography because the medium has been viewed as undeserving of the capital letter A for Art bestowed upon portraiture, landscape, and abstraction. Even within the genre of photography itself, fashion photography has often

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Review: Gustav Klimt at l’Atelier des Lumières- PARIS- a MUST SEE

Gustav Klimt at L’ Atelier des Lumières - A MUST SEE in Paris a dazzling immersion of lights in the City of Lights By Leticia Marie Sanchez All Photography and text © 2018 Leticia Marie Sanchez This month’s Cultural Cocktail recipe includes 2 Oz of Gustav Klimt, A Dash of Beethoven, A Sprinkle of Wagner, and a Splash of Visual Splendor- Enjoy! The perfect Cultural Cocktail involves a blend of music and visual arts and the Gustav Klimt exhibit at Atelier des Lumières is a mesmerizing, intoxicating blend of artistic immersion, NOT to be missed. Atelier des Lumières means “Studio Of Lights.” The site itself is unorthodox and compelling. The once dark, drab, former iron factory transforms into a feast for the senses, producing an artistic high. 140 laser video projectors illuminate the 16,000 square foot exhibit hall of the former iron factory with golden, gilded images as classical music soars through the

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Monet’s Water Lillies at L’Orangerie- Paris

  At Monet’s opening at L’Orangerie Art critic Louis Gillet declared,  “An Astonishing painting, without pattern, without borders… there is no sky no horizon hardly any perspective or stable points of reference enabling the viewer to orient himself, just completely arbitrary boundaries between actual space and pictorial space.”   MUSÉE DE L’ORANGERIE Jardin des Tuileries Place de la Concorde 75001 PARIS

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Azulant Akora: Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Fall Winter 2018 Highlight!

 by Leticia Marie Sanchez Greetings from Paris! At Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week  Fall Winter 2018, the uplifting strains of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s “Lark Ascending” played during the presentation of the ethereal designs by Azulant Akora.     The stirring music was befitting of a collection that proved inspirational, ethereal, and exquisite. Akron’s presentation was filled with showstoppers including a intricate floral-imbued gown and a royal green dress that was regal and perfectly showcased in the golden, classically gilded room at La Maison Champs Elysées. What was even more impressive about Akora’s collection was that her creations managed to be both dreamy and functional at the same time. One can envision one of Akora’s stunning creations at a gala, red carpet, wedding, or other special occasion. The level of detail on each gown elevated it to its own stratosphere. The fabrics, colors,

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Greetings from Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week!

Greetings from Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week! Haute Couture Automne Hiver 2018 While fireworks light the sky in the US during 4th of July weekend, across the pond, fashion fireworks take over Paris for Haute Couture Fall Winter 2018 Fashion week. The city becomes a fashion Mecca with cultural landmarks like the Garnier Opera House and Musée Rodin transformed into runways for fashion designers to showcase their latest inspirations. Cultural Cocktail Hour Editor-in-Chief Leticia Sanchez reports from Paris Haute Couture Fashion week. One unforgettable creation was the Azulant Akora Couture Show held at La Maison Champs Elysées. Stay tuned for the full report! Cultural Cocktail Hour Editor-in-Chief Leticia Marie Sanchez Azulant Akora Couture Show Monday July 2nd La Maison Champs Elysées Paris

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Sneak Peak- “Icons of Style” at the Getty Center

Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography, 1911–2011 GETTY CENTER Upcoming, June 26 – October 21 West Pavilion, Lower Level   Woman’s evening dress by Madame Grès and her thoughts on the medium of fashion: “I wanted to be a sculptor. For me it’s the same thing to work the fabric or the stone.”   For a full report on Icons of Style at the Getty Center, check back on CCH later this summer. This week CCH is heading to Paris for a few Cultural Cocktails, including Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, so stay tuned! Wishing all my readers an art and music-filled summer!

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Cultural Cocktail Hour in Paris: Backstage at Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera, Part II

Backstage at Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera Part Two by Leticia Marie Sanchez All Photography and text © 2012 Leticia Marie Sanchez Charles Garnier declared, “I have two shows in my opera; one on the stage and one in the theater.” The most prestigious box, that of the emperor, was monitored by bodyguards. Nobles and industrialists had private boxes equipped with a curtain that came in handy for playing cards, ordering food, and engaging in amorous intrigue. On the ground floors stood working professionals, writers, and composers. Ladies were not allowed on the ground floor due to the tight conditions and bumping which resulted in occasional fisticuffs. Only prostitutes stood here as very few ladies in the nineteenth century worked as writers or composers. The very high chicken box nosebleed seats were called Paradise: one was close to heaven but could see nothing.  

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Cultural Cocktail Hour reports from Paris: Garnier and the Paris Opera

A brief history of Le Palais Garnier: Persona Non Grata and the Opera Bombs By Leticia Marie Sanchez All Paris Photography and Text © 2012 Leticia Marie Sanchez Persona Non Grata On the exuberant opening night at Le Palais Garnier, the Paris opera, one person was not on the guest list: Charles Garnier, the opera’s architect. In order to attend the inauguration ceremony with his wife, the landmark’s architect had to pay one hundred and twenty francs out of his own pocket. Persona Non Grata. Persona Non Gratis. Garnier’s status had changed from revered architect to social pariah due to the shift in Paris’s political landscape. Garnier had been selected during a competition in 1861 under the reign of Napoleon III. The opening ceremony took place fourteen years later, under a vastly different regime. The government of the Third Republic had an

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