Musikalische Bildreflexionen: Kompositionen nach Guernica von Pablo Picasso

Since the time that Pablo Picasso painted his famous Guernica in 1937, there were composed some 30 compositions inspired by his work, which reflect the different perceptions of pictorial art and music and the possible points of contact between painting and music. A great number of these compositions, regardless of their variety of style and technique, have common features and expresses the same intent as the Guernica painting: a lament and accusation against war and violence. This is realized in the music mainly with shrill dissonances, rhythmic ostinato figures, and contrasting changes between elegiac and aggressive parts. In several compositions can be found the symmetry, which is also characteristic formal aspect of the painting.