R. Murray Schafer Livres

The soundscape--a term coined by the author--is our sonic environment, the ever-present array of noises with which we all live. Beginning with the primordial sounds of nature, we have experienced an ever-increasing complexity of our sonic surroundings. As civilization develops, new noises rise up around us: from the creaking wheel, the clang of the blacksmith’s hammer, and the distant chugging of steam trains to the “sound imperialism” of airports, city streets, and factories. The author contends that we now suffer from an overabundance of acoustic information and a proportionate diminishing of our ability to hear the nuances and subtleties of sound. Our task, he maintains, is to listen, analyze, and make distinctions. As a society we have become more aware of the toxic wastes that can enter our bodies through the air we breathe and the water we drink. In fact, the pollution of our sonic environment is no less real. Schafer emphasizes the importance of discerning the sounds that enrich and feed us and using them to create healthier environments. To this end, he explains how to classify sounds, appreciating their beauty or ugliness, and provides exercises and “soundwalks” to help us become more discriminating and sensitive to the sounds around us. This book is a pioneering exploration of our acoustic environment, past and present, and an attempt to imagine what it might become in the future.

„Alles, was wir hören, ist Musik.“ Mit dieser These beschritt der kanadische Klangforscher Schafer bereits Ende der 60er Jahre neue Wege. In seinem Kultbuch „The Tuning of the World“ stellt er als Erster die Beziehung des Menschen zu seiner akustischen Umwelt kulturhistorisch dar: die Entwicklung der Klanglandschaften von der naturgegebenen „Lautsphäre“ zu dauerhaftem städtischem Lärm und manipulativer Musikbeschallung. Als Ausweg aus dieser „akustischen Umweltverschmutzung“ plädiert Schafer für kritisches Hören und aktive Gestaltung unserer akustischen Umwelt. Seine Methode - eine einzigartige Synthese aus Naturwissenschaft, Soziologie und Kunst - ist heute aktueller denn je und liegt nun in neuer Übersetzung vor.