2008-09 in Bergamo, and other iterations
Again introducing sounds of urban pertinence into problematic contexts. I have recorded many orchestral tune-up moments, often at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. I used one in this case to mark an absence, in a way. Near the main rail station and the main bus hub, the city government of Bergamo had built a rather unassuming steel-and-glass “urban center” that for some reason was never opened. It was just there, and every time I walked by – which was often, since I was commuting at least once a week to and from the city – I wondered what would become of the structure. Deep in its empty basement, I installed very large speakers that played the orchestra tune-up sounds at explosive volume (if you were inside… but as I said, the place was totally closed). From the outside, for passers-by, the effect was that of overhearing an orchestra faintly, oozing up from the bowels of the building and suggesting an impending performance.
