In England the style's immediate precursors were the Aestheticism of the illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, who depended heavily on the expressive quality of organic line, and the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris, who established the importance of a vital style in the applied arts.
During that period it preserved the Byzantine traditions that formed the basis of Russian art and at the same time fostered the development of a distinct and vital local style, a style which, though provincial, contained most of the elements of the national Russian art that eventually developed in Moscow in the 16th century.
That no vital, popular style ever coalesced around the synagogue is not the fault of architects or their patrons.
Mr. Castellanos, the composer, was the treble soloist in the middle movement of Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms" (1965), a work that draws on Bernstein's rhythmically vital theater style as well as his gift for surprising melodic modulation, and is one of his strongest concert scores.
That this is changing is a democratisation of style every bit as vital as fashion being available in more sizes or more price points.
It is of course vital in our style of play.
Bartók arrived at a vital and varied style, rhythmically animated, in which diatonic and chromatic elements are juxtaposed without incompatibility.
Instead, the Bannermans rely on demonstrative and dramatic flowers, planted en masse for theatrical effect: shrub roses and rambling roses, huge petaled peonies, exotic echiums and fragrant lilies — scent is vital to their style — in terra-cotta pots on terraces.
MARCH JULIAN BREAM TRIBUTE Mr. Bream doesn't celebrate his 75th birthday until July, but several of the best American classical guitarists of the generation who grew up listening to Mr. Bream's recordings and absorbing his intellectually vital, post-Segovian style are banding together to salute him in anticipation of that milestone.
One of this week's highlights has been Clare Balding's epic new 30-part series, Sport and the British (Radio 4), which is chock-full of quirky facts and great storytelling, told in her instantly involving style – vital in a 15-minute instalment.
