About
Together with a team of sound artists, software developers and composers, Markenfilm SPACE brought the famous „Four Seasons“ by Antonio Vivaldi into a new perspective: The score from 1725 was translated into a 2019 version using climate data in order to present how our current climate sounds different to the four seasons Vivaldi experienced when he wrote his masterpiece.
We used „raw data“ of the climate change as a foundation for our new score. A sophisticated algorithm mapped this directly onto the original score and modified it. As a result, we hear how climate change sounds, how melodies become unbalanced and out-of-track. This musical experience premiered in November 2019 with a large performance by NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in the grand hall of the Elbphilharmonie.
Client:
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra
Sound Concept & Algorithm:
Kling Klang Klong
Data Setup & Sound Concept:
Markenfilm SPACE
Year:
2019
Location:
Hamburg
Awards
Cannes Lions 2021 – 1x Gold
ADC 2020 – 1x Gold, 6x Silber, 3x Bronze
New York Festival 2020 – 3x Gold, 2x Bronze, 3x Finalist
D&AD 2020 – 1x Wood Pencil, 1x Graphite Pencil
One Show 2020 – 1x Gold, 1x Merit, 1x Silber, 1x Green Pencil
Die Klappe – 1x Silber
„Our algorithm does not care about musical
rules and well-sounding harmonies.
It is the radical creator of the new score,
making the climate data audible objectivly
in all its drama.“
– Christian Rühle I Markenfilm SPACE
The Principle of „Data-To-Concert“:
Our team developed a technological principle and process to translate the original work of the „Four Seasons“ to a 2019 version. The credo of this project was „Data-To-Concert“ which stands for a creation of the new score based on scientific data of climate change.
In order to modify the original note values, an algorithm and various software patches (MaxMSP) were developed to apply climate raw data onto different parts of the work. This „mapping“ of climate data produces new acoustic results which were subsequently optimized by the team using professional music notation software. As a result, the algorithm generated a digital (MusicXML) score of the „For Seasons“ to be performed by NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in the Elbphilharmonie.
The new „for seasons“,
composed by climate data
The Algorithm:
The algorithm that maps climate data onto musical note values works on two levels: First, several data sets are applied on the entire score (cross-concert) to generate a change over all 4 seaons. Second, special data sets are applied on certain parts of the score: We link climate data to certain musical segments that interpret certain natural events and themes. This two-step process generates a new score set interweaving climate data into the acoustic experience.
https://www.forseasonsbydata.com/
Photo Credit: Nikolaj Lund I NDR
