Francophonia Concert: Apollonian and Dionysian

The Apollonian and Dionysian is a philosophical and artistic concept, or dichotomy, loosely based on Apollo and Dionysus in Greek mythology. Some Western philosophical and literary figures have invoked this dichotomy in critical and creative works, most notably Friedrich Nietzsche and later followers. In Greek mythology, Apollo and Dionysus are both sons of Zeus: Apollo is the god of the sun, of rational thinking and order, and appeals to logic, prudence, and purity. Dionysus is the god of wine and dance, of irrationality and chaos, and appeals to emotions and instincts. In Music, as in other forms of art, the dichotomy principally rests to which sensations the piece appeals to: a rational and exterior notion of beauty, or an instinctive and interior feeling. The early 20th century was one of the periods where the dual nature of this concept has been expressed the most significantly. While the Austrian and German music of the time was still closely tied to the romantic and deeply Dyonisian notions of human experiences and passion, French music took a radical turn and used music as an evocative tool for concepts and images transcending human emotions. As a whole, French culture detached itself from the Romantic notions relating to the individual experience, well implemented in the 19th century, and instead started to relate to the Apollonian ideals of purity, logic, and beauty as an exterior element. In the meantime, British music, while close to the Apollonian notions, held an interesting and ambiguous place by not distancing itself as strongly to the human element as much as French music did, and deliberately remained "earthly".