Art Music v Sound Art
There's art music and then there's sound art, and this already too confusing, mainly because the two things don't really go well together. Actually, it seems more a case of the first happily ignoring the existence of the latter, which is a shame, because sound art has pushed the boundaries of what is to be considered music more than art music has, at least in the last 30 years. Yes, that's a bit of a statement, particularly if we take into account that, as a term, sound art has been used for the first time in the early 80s... But what is probably true is the fact that sound art has brought odd but fascinating music-making practices into art galleries and museums, while art music was (is?) struggling to see itself recognised as a legit art form. Another linguistic paradox here, sorry about that.
Even for the art world, though, sound art is still a bit of a novelty ("Wait, what? You can use your ears as a mean of aesthetic appreciation?"), and this fascinating article by Artnet News on the "Twelve Sound Artists Changing Your Perception of Art" is proof that there's a brave new world out there for you to be discovered. You, and the many sullen contemporary composers happily ignoring the sound in their art music.
C'è la musica d'arte e poi c'è la sound art, il che rappresenta già una bella fonte di confusione terminologica, principalmente per il fatto che le due cose non vanno sempre necessariamente a braccetto. O meglio, sembra più che altro che la prima sia ben felice di ignorare la seconda, il che è un peccato se si considera che proprio la sound art ha contribuito ad allargare i confini di che cosa si possa considerare musica più di quanto abbia fatto la stessa musica d'arte. Affermazione importante, non c'è dubbio, soprattutto dopo aver constatato che il termine sound art viene impiegato solo dall'inizio degli anni Ottanta... È vero però che proprio questa disciplina artistica ha contribuito a portare nelle gallerie e nei musei delle forme inconsuete (e alle volte bizzarre) di produzione musicale, mentre la musica d'arte faticava (fatica?) ad essere riconosciuta come una forma d'arte tout court. Un altro paradosso linguistico, pardon.
Persino per il mondo dell'arte, tuttavia, la sound art rappresenta tutto sommato una novità («Come dici? Si possono usare le proprie orecchie come strumento di apprezzamento estetico?»), e questo articolo di Artnet News intitolato "Twelve Sound Artists Changing Your Perception of Art" è la dimostrazione che c'è un mondo nuovo lì fuori che aspetta solo le tue avventure. Le tue, e quelle degli accigliati compositori contemporanei beatamente ignari del sound nella loro musica d'arte.
The twenty-seventh issue of our recording series presents Su Carta, a fully composed album by Francesco Fusaro for violin, clarinet, vibraphone, double bass, human voice and a TB-303 clone, reflecting on environment, memory, animals, and the act of composition itself. For more information on the music content, please visit here.
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The twenty-first issue of our recording series takes a deep dive into the repertoire of classical Afro-descendant composers. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The twentieth issue of our recording series pays homage to one of the most iconic compositions in European art music. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The eighteenth issue of our recording series is the result of our first Call For Score. It offers a snapshot of the state of the Italian and international contemporary music scene. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The very first issue of our recording series. For more information on the music content, please visit this page. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The second issue of our recording series is an Italian take on Stravinsky's original. For more information on the music content, please visit this page. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The sixth issue of our recording series is a live recording of the ensemble version of Holst’s masterpiece, arranged by Enrico Gabrielli. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The seventh issue of our recording series is a survey on the music of neglected electronic music pioneer Chino ‘Goia’ Sornisi. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The eighth issue of our recording series is a retrospective journey through the catalogue of library and art music composer Paolo Renosto, aka Lesiman. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The tenth issue of our recording series is an acoustic version for chamber ensemble of one of the greatest music oddities of 70s North America: Mort Garson’s album dedicated to our friends the plants. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The eleventh issue of our recording series is a new arrangement of one of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s most famous compositions, “Tierkreis”. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The twelfth issue of our recording series is dedicated to the genius of Bernard Hermman, with a focus on his music for the sci fi cult series The Twilight Zone. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The fifteenth issue of our recording series is dedicated to the first 88 pages of a graphic notation classic, Cornelius Cardew’s Treatise. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The sixteenth issue of our recording series is a collection of four works by Arvo Pärt, Florence Price, Giacinto Scelsi and Franco Battiato. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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The seventeenth issue of our recording series is a collection of six original compositions by Sebastiano De Gennaro. For more information on the music content, please visit here. Price includes VAT. Delivery prices available at checkout.
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For the first time, you can now aquire the original art created for our cover design. Created by Italian artist Annalisa “Nali” Limonta, who is also behind our beautiful “Plantasia” booklet and CD design, the artwork for our 18th release, “Call For Scores”, is now available in a unique piece for your personal collection.