Zeitgeist paper outline

1.	Introduction
I.	Belle Epoque & Fin de Siecle
a.	Era straddling old and new worlds.
b.	Artistic, philosophic and political advances outstripping traditionalists’ tolerance.
II.	France as microcosm of tensions all over Europe.
a.	Social as well as political tensions in the run up to war.
(1)	Dreyfus affair as precursor to schism prone France/ Europe.
b.	Greater contact between cultures and classes exacerbating this phenomenon.
(1)	France as melting pot of European ideas.
(2)	Cross-pollination of ideas blurs lines of politics, philosophy and art.  Most major figures in these disciplines know, admire and influence each other.
III.	Dada as cultural parallel of WWI, destruction of art. 
2.	Guillaume Apollinaire (Les Onze Mille Verges – 1907)
I.	Apollinaire as representative of spirit of innovation and diversity of talent for the time.
a.	Cosmopolitan upbringing.
b.	Many artists and thinkers revolved around him. 
(1)	Book on Cubism
(2)	Section D’or
c.	Mixed ideas of primitivism with bold new thinking.
II.	Real poetry disguised as smut.
a.	Apollinaire had access to De Sade’s material for a long time during a period where it was largely unavailable in France. Les Onze… is somewhat a parody of this style.
b.	Poking fun at pretension of “openness” of society.
c.	Written anonymously out of fear of prosecution.
d.	Distinguished poet and art critic, making pornographic literature seems a strange choice given the conventions of the time.
e.	Public reaction and banning until 1970.
3.	Georges Sorel (Reflections On Violence – 1908)
I.	Curious mix of Socialist idealism with open advocacy of violence.
II.	Result of melding of many ideas from around Europe, this is indicative of time period.
III.	Work was later basis of Mussolini’s concepts of Fascism.
4.	Henri Bergson (Creative Evolution – 1911)
I.	Philosophical revolution.
II.	Taking evolution one step further, bridging with artistic.
III.	Public reaction worldwide, Bergson as unlikely superstar.
IV.	Many of Bergson’s ideas stemming from concepts such as Cubism but also influencing later, post-Cubist work of people like Duchamp.
V.	Ideas of time and duration as parallel to Duchamp’s “Nude”.

5.	Marcel Duchamp (“Nude Descending a Staircase no.2” – 1912)
I.	Revolutionary aspects of Nude…
a.	Painting in 4th dimension.
b.	Confusing departure from Cubism. Thought Cubism too restrictive.
II.	Reactions
a.	Asked to remove painting from Salon des Indépendants (1912), took it home in a taxi, angrily.
b.	Reaction from Armory show (1913).
(1)	Many people focused anger and confusion over the whole show singly upon “Nude…”.
(2)	Editorial cartoons referencing painting.
(3)	There were also many supporters and painting actually sold at Armory show.
III.	Soon after, gave up painting altogether.
IV.	Experience sowed seeds of disaffection with art world which would help give rise to ideas leading to Dada.
6.	Igor Stravinsky “The Rite of Spring” – 1913)
I.	Absurdity of a riot at a ballet premiere.
a.	Contradictory accounts.
b.	Daghliev’s delight at all the hubbub.
c.	Stir created much hype and mystery.
II.	Revolutionary nature of piece.
a.	Detractors declared it jarring and atonal.
b.	Supporters hailed it as a revolution in music.
III.	Old vs. new
a.	As much about old, pagan Russia as about new ways of thinking of music, again a reflection of the ideas of the time.
b.	Stravinsky and his Russianness (old and more traditional) vs. his exposure to the European continent and France specifically(new ideas).
IV.	Still considered major turning point of 20th c. music.
7.	Conclusion
I.	Pre-WWI France as a fertile environment for new thinking.
a.	Cultural innovation was threatening to traditionalism.
b.	Repressive traditionalism as impetus for innovators to push boundaries.
c.	This combination made for a very volatile environment, this fed back to both sides and amplified.
II.	Cultural and political conflicts of Pre-1914 were a glimpse of the eventual Great War. 
a.	As WWI realigned Europe to cope with a more modern age…
b.	Pre-WWI France was realigning itself to fit new and inescapable paradigms of thinking of culture, art, philosophy and politics.