SOUND POETRY. ENTRY POINT

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Sound poetry emerged from the Futurist and Dada movements, influenced by magnetic tape recording. Futurism rejected traditional harmony and themes, embracing speed, technology, and youth. Dadaism focused on phonetic sounds rather than meaning.

African-American call and response traditions also contributed, as did artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie, who incorporated Scottish and Irish mouth music into scat singing.

Recording technologies, like magnetic tape, allowed for experimentation with audio collage and manipulated voices. Spoken word poetry grew from these roots, providing a platform for frank discussions on taboo subjects like religion, politics, sex, and gender.
It bridges the gap between book-based poetry and performance.

background

futurism

Sound poetry has its roots in the Italian Futurist movement, specifically with Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. Marinetti, a poet, published the Manifesto of Futurism in 1909, expressing a strong disdain for traditional art and embracing a future centered around speed, technology, and youth. He applied these ideas to various art forms, including sound. Marinetti experimented with typography, using different font styles and sizes to visually represent the spoken word. He also incorporated onomatopoeias to create sound effects in his poetry.

Dada

The Dadaists were strongly influenced by the Futurists' emphasis
on sound poetry, focusing on the phonetic sounds of speech rather than the meaning of words. This approach provides an interesting way
to explore the roots of sound poetry. There are resources and listening experiences available to delve into this art form.

On February 1, 1916, Hugo Ball and Emily Hennings founded Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland. The purpose of this new nightclub,
as stated in the press release, was to create a center for artistic entertainment. The cabaret aimed to host guest artists who would perform music and readings at daily meetings. Artists from Zurich were encouraged to contribute their suggestions and ideas.

Experimental artists such as Marcel Janco, Richard Huelsenbeck, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Arp responded to the call to transform their respective disciplines. Cabaret Voltaire featured not only paintings, but also spoken word, dance, music, and innovative forms of performance, including sound poetry and simultaneous poetry.

During the first public Dada evening on July 14, 1916, Hugo Ball likely read his manifesto, known as "The First Dada Manifesto", before his own performance. This manifesto introduced his sound poems and emphasized the importance of words in language.

The Dadaists embraced sound poetry inherited from the Futurists, with
a focus on phonetic sounds of speech. Cabaret Voltaire served as a hub for artistic entertainment and experimentation, featuring various forms
of artistic expression. Hugo Ball's manifesto highlighted the significance of words in language.

tape recording

The availability of magnetic tape recording encouraged sound poetry practitioners to experiment with new forms. They began using audio collage, layering and manipulating multiple voices to expand the concept of a "reading". The goal was to create poetry that could only exist   in the form of sound. One of the most known among the poets was Brion Gysin, pioneering work in sound poetry, utilizing magnetic tape and computer technology in his artistic experiments.

Sound poets

Hugo Ball — first sound poetry performance

Futurism

Luigi Pennone and Arrigo Lora-Totino

Filippo Marinetti

Velemir Khlebnikov and Aleksej Kruchenykh

dada

Hugo Ball

Tristan Tzara

Kurt Schwitters

Antonin Artaud

Tape recordings

François DuFrêne

Henri Chopin

Brion Gysin

William S. Burroughs

Filippo Marinetti

Tristan Tzara

Henri Chopin

François DuFrêne

Kurt Schwitters

hugo ball

Technniques&

Styles

repetition, rhyme and rhythm

The Dadaists made extensive use of repetition of words, sounds and phrases to create rhythmicity and musicality in their works. This helped convey emotional states and enhance the impact on the listener. An example of such work is Tristan Tzara's poem "How to make a Dadaist poem", where the repetition of phrases and rhymes creates a special musicality.

voice and sound effects

The Dadaists also experimented with voice and sound effects to enhance the emotional impact of their works. They used a variety of vocal techniques, including loud chanting, whispering, shouting, and sound collages. An example of such work is Hugo Ball's poem "Karawane", where voice experiments and sound effects create an atmosphere of chaos and disorder.

Avant-Garde Experimentation

After Dada, artists and poets continued to experiment with sounds and words, creating new and unusual sound compositions. They used various techniques such as voice effects, electronic instruments and sound collages to create unique soundscapes. An example of such work is Luciano Berio's "Serenata II", which uses voice effects and electronic sounds.

Sampling

Contemporary music poetry often uses sampling techniques to take sound fragments from various sources and combine them into new compositions. Found sound involves collecting and incorporating pre-existing audio recordings or snippets into a sound poetry composition. This allows you to create unique sound collages and experiment with different styles and genres. An example of sampling music is "Paul's Boutique" by Beastie Boys, in particular "The Sounds of Science", which exemplifies how the use of found sound can result in a chaotic and vibrant atmosphere that captures the essence of the Dadaist spirit.

sound poetry
today

Lily greenham

lingual music

CHARLES AMIRKHANIAN

LEXICAL MUSIC