Exuberance is Beauty: William Blake, the Viol, and the Book
Exuberance is Beauty: William Blake, the Viol, and the Book
William Blake (1757-1827), Europe: A Prophecy (Lambeth: Printed by Will. Blake, 1794). Gift of Mrs. Landon K. Thorne, 1972. The Morgan Library & Museum, PML 77235.1. Photography by Janny Chiu.
Members of the New York viol consort Parthenia join Sheelagh Bevan, Andrew W. Mellon Associate Curator, Printed Books & Bindings, and Robinson McClellan, Assistant Curator of Music Manuscripts and Printed Music, in a webinar to explore the “exuberant beauty” of visionary poet William Blake (1757-1827) and the music he inspires in our time. Featuring Will Ayton’s 2002 song cycle scored for viola da gamba and voice, A Reliquary for William Blake, the program will be contextualized with an introduction to the Morgan’s exceptional holdings of Blake’s illuminated printing, such as Songs of Innocence and of Experience, followed by a conversation with curators and musicians.
This online program is co-presented by the Morgan Library & Museum and Parthenia.