Music Lives Here: Music and History Converge in the Rosen House
By Roslyn Wertheimer
As great lovers of music and art, Lucie and Walter Rosen filled their home with artful objects and musical performances — each inspiring the other. Here are just a few items, from the collection, which provide a striking visual complement to the music performed this week.
Moonlight and Stardust
Those attending the VOCES8 concert this Thursday night in the Spanish Courtyard will note a theme for the program — with songs like Stardust, Fly Me to the Moon, and Moondance, you can't help but take note of the heavens this summer evening! One particular object from the Rosen House collection ties in with this theme as well: an early 20th-century giltwood fixture in the form of the goddess Diana driving a chariot pulled by stags and trailed by cupids. The detail that connects with tonight's program is the ring-shaped moon framing Diana in her vehicle. In Roman mythology, Diana's association with the moon translates to representations of her often including a crescent headdress, or some other moon element. Look above you the next time you are touring the Rosen House for a chance at beholding the galloping goddess. And look up during the concert: if the skies are clear, a waxing crescent moon will be a feature part of the show tonight.
Opening the Door to Baroque
On Friday, August 5th, audience members are in for a treat: the Les Arts Florissants trio will perform a program of all-French Baroque (and later) pieces. The first piece of the evening is from the 1733 opera Hippolyte et Aricie by Jean-Philippe Rameau, entitled "Hymn to Poseidon." It just so happens the Rosen House collection features a representation of the god of the sea to whom this song is addressed. Hanging within earshot of the Spanish Courtyard, the bearded, muscular figure flanked by two hippocampi (the fantastical creatures that are half horse and half fish) raises his trident in a sculptural work that was once an immense and heavy door knocker. This bronze piece is a 17th-century copy after the Italian artist Tiziano Aspetti (1565 – 1607), and will be on display next time you visit the Rosen House.
There's more to explore!
See more of the Rosen's extensive collection through one of Open House Sessions, available on select days. Or, schedule a private Docent-Guided Tour — please call the Box Office (914.232.1252) to arrange.