Pierre Henry: Carnet de Venise

Featuring

Pierre Henry

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Recording & Production

Pierre Henry recorded sounds in Venice in October 2002 with a Neumann microphone and Sony Portadat, then shaped the work in his Paris studio, Son/Ré.

Instruments

Pierre Henry's Son/Ré studio, established in 1982, featured Telefunken M15A reel-to-reel tape recorders and an EMT analogue mixing board, standard equipment for radio and TV studios in the 1980s.

Composition History

Pierre Henry's "Carnet de Venise" was commissioned by René Martin for the 2003 "Folle Journée de Nantes" festival, which was dedicated to Italian music.

Composer Biography

Pierre Henry, a pioneer of electroacoustic music, co-created "Symphonie pour un homme seul" in 1950 with Pierre Schaeffer and founded APSOME, Europe's first private experimental music studio, in 1958.

Compositional Technique

The art of sound mixing is central to "Carnet de Venise," creating contrasts and "air pockets" between sequences, similar to techniques used in modern cinema.

Cultural Impact

After Pierre Henry's death in 2017, his Son/Ré studio equipment was donated to the Musée de la musique, where it is now displayed in a permanent exhibit, allowing visitors to interact with his legacy.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Pierre Henry's "Carnet de Venise" incorporates Monteverdi's madrigals as "potent 'sound objects'" subjected to electroacoustic manipulation, linking musique concrète to music history.