William Hong ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Some of the discussion on this thread has turned toward the larger question
>of alterations made to an artist's work, such as changing colors on a
>painting, or editing films, music and whatnot.
>
>Have such wholesale alterations on works of art been done in the
>past?

Certainly; paintings were cut down to fit into conventient spaces,
Shakespeare was "improved" (wasn't it Colly Cibber who interpolated "Off
with his head!" into Richard III?), the list is virtually endless.

>Goodness, yes--look at the way Haydn's symphonies were "corrected" in the
>19th century.  Listen to recording of one conducted by say, Beecham (using
>the old bowdlerized scores) and a more modern one using the corrected
>Robbins-Landon scores, and you'll hear what was involved.

Dare i bring up the case of Anton Bruckner? (Incidentally, the verb
"bowdlerise", as you probably know, stems from one Thomas (?) Bowdler,
who in the 19th century produced an edition of Shakespeare "suitable"
for children).

>Certainly, paintings have been altered, though perhaps not always with the
>intent of changing the message--wasn't Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" found
>to be aptly misnamed when the darkened varnish covering the painting was
>removed during a post-vandalism restoration?

To be pedantic, Rembrandt never called it The Night Watch, but The company
of Captain someoneorother, or some similar title.

The restoration (i.e.  cleaning) of Michelangelo's Sistine chapel was if
anything even more dramatic and controversial.  And who today would vote
for painting all those "classical pure" marble Greek sculptures and friezes
in the garish colours they originally had?

I vowed not to get involved in this thread this time.....:-(

Deryk Barker
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