fourth session: november 7 and 8

During these two days, I have revised and improved the permanences made during the first session in October, especially two of them that seemed too static. I have added more movement to the sound fragments, i.e. more space-sound density variations, and I have minimized the envelopes to add more relief. Due to the high amount of reflected sounds, it is convenient to highlight the onset of each fragment, so it is easier to identify them aurally and to follow their movements in space.

These strategies have become increasingly more important during my work at the ossuary, as they allow me to add dynamism and complexity to the sound. This is very important if the intention is to create permanences that have to remain for long periods of time. In my opinion, the main feature of these permanences or illuminations may be that they are on the one hand static, since they present a single sonority composed by the superposition of the same frequencies, and at the same time they are dynamic, since each frequency is composed of consecutive fragments that move and are organized in space in an ever-changing way.

The acoustic space of the room reacts in multiple ways to this movement, depending, on the one hand, on the frequencies used, but also on the direction and speed of the movement. The millions of sounds that the space itself creates mix and interact with the sounds emitted by the loudspeakers, adding depth and ambiguity to the overall sound, and creating distortions of pitch, duration, and sound density. All this makes possible the experience of a unique and non-transferable sound, as it arises as the resut of the emited sound while intercting with the space.

During these two days people have entered the ossuary to see the paintings or simply curious to know what was going on inside. Someone has asked me where this music could be heard, and I have answered, with surprise on my part „only here and now“.

At this point I think I have found an structure that coud give shape to this sound intervention: it will consist of twelve illuminations, one for each of the twelve apostles of the ossuary. These illuminations, which would last one hour each, would be presented alternating with one-hour silences, thus filling the 24 hours of the day. This idea is especially attractive considering that the illumination of the ossuary as well as the colors of the frescoes also vary with the changing light of the day. At night, artificial light could be used, very dim and simple, which would bring out a whole new palette of colors and shadows, giving the space a very singular and unique atmosphere.

A pause is now mandatory to let the winter pass. I hope to be able to resume the work in spring as planned, to leave all the illuminations ready, and to finish defining all the details.

Once again I would like to sincerely thank all the people who are making this project possible for their support and help. To all of them my most sincere gratitude.

go to fifth session: june 3 and 4

back to charnel house in Perschen