Futurism

What it means

Futurism designates an artistic movement of the early twentieth century that arose in Italy and made technology, speed, and the sounds of the modern city the subject of art. In music this meant the demand to use noises as material of equal standing: machine sounds, din, signals. Luigi Russolo, who formulated this programme in 1913 in his manifesto L'arte dei rumori (The Art of Noises), built his own noise generators for it, the intonarumori, with which pieces were performed; most of them were lost in Paris during the Second World War, so that their sound can be reconstructed only indirectly.

Musical use

The immediate effect of the movement remained limited, but its consequences were far-reaching. The boundary between tone and noise was fundamentally called into question, and thereby the way was prepared for musical directions that use noise as material — from musique concrète to electronic music. The inclusion of sirens, machines, and everyday sounds in orchestral works of the 1920s also belongs in this context. Historically, moreover, the movement's connection to the political currents of its time is to be noted, which is treated at length in research.

Performance practice

Works of this circle demand instruments and devices that often no longer exist; performances therefore rest on reconstructions whose foundations should be disclosed. Where scores call for noise sources, settle procurement and handling early and rehearse the volume relations in the room. Treat noises as exactly as notes: entry, duration, and end are part of the execution. Explain the historical context in the programme.

The effect of such works depends strongly on the room and the placement: noise sources radiate directionally and can hardly be readjusted in balance. For works with intonarumori, ask about reproductions; several reconstructions have been made since 2009. Settle who operates the noise sources, and rehearse their entries like every other part of the work.