Futurism (music)

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Futurism was a 20th century philosophy which ecompassed painting, sculpture, poetry, theatre, music, architecture and even gastronomy. Although a nascent Futurism can be seen surfacing throughout the very early years of the twentieth century, the 1907 essay Entwurf einer neuen Ästhetik der Tonkunst (Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music) by the Italian composer Ferruccio Busoni is the earliest call from a mainstream composer for a futurist aesthetic in its calls for freedom from equal temperament[1] and was later attacked as dangerous futurism[2]. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti produced a manifesto of the philosophy in his Manifesto of Futurism. Luigi Russolo (1885-1947), an Italian painter, wrote his manifesto The Art of Noises in 1913. [3][4] In this manifesto Russolo divided a new timbre of sound for the orchestra, "noise-sound," into 6 different "families of noise"

  1. Roars, Thunderings, Explosions, Hissing roars, Bangs, Booms
  2. Whistling, Hissing, Puffing
  3. Whispers, Murmurs, Mumbling, Muttering, Gurgling
  4. Screeching, Creaking, Rustling, Humming, Crackling, Rubbing
  5. Noises obtained by beating on metals, woods, skins, stones, pottery, etc.
  6. Voices of animals and people, Shouts, Screams, Shrieks, Wails, Hoots, Howls, Death rattles, Sobs

With the Russolo's invention of the new instruments of orchestra, the "intonarumori";[5] he and Marinetti gave the first concert of Futurist music in 1914. The program of "four networks of noises" with the following titles:

  • Awakening of Capital.
  • Meeting of cars and aeroplanes
  • Dining on the terrace of the Casino and
  • Skirmish in the oasis.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Levi, (2000). "Futurist Influences Upon Early Twentieth-Century Music", International Futurism in Arts and Literature, p.331. Gunter Berghaus (Ed.). ISBN 3110156814. "An obvious starting point".
  2. ^ Pfitzner (May 1917). "The Danger of Futurism", Süddeutsche Monatshefte. Cited in Beaumont, Antony (1987). Ferruccio Busoni, p.260. ISBN 0231064608.
  3. ^ http://www.thereminvox.com/article/articleview/117 The Art of Noises on Thereimin Vox
  4. ^ http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/futurist/art_of_noise.html The Art of Noises
  5. ^ http://www.thereminvox.com/article/articleview/116 intonarumori on Theremin Vox