How does Russolo understand sound and noise?
Russolo understands noise to be something mainly man-made that accompanies every part of everyone's lives. He describes primitive people as attributing sound to a spiritual origin because silence was around so often. With the invention of instruments, music, and machinery also in some way came the invention of sound. He believes we must break away from pure sounds and focus on discovering the infinite variety of noise-sounds in order to enrich the domain of musical sounds, and he encourages people to walk with the ear more attentive than the eye in everyday situations. With this in mind, noise becomes a familiar yet unpredictable thing with the power to bring humanity back to life.
Has this changed your understanding of it?
This hasn't really changed my understanding of sound but it has made me realize how much noise is actually not natural. I have lived my whole life surrounded by constant noise and it is strange to realize that most of it only exists because of humans, and without all these man made sound makers there would be so much less chaos.
How is he using language to make this essay a sonic experience?
All forms of interpreting language are sonic experiences, but Russolo uses particularly eloquent language and a constant flow of sentence structures to create a rhythmic read that is informative while easy to follow.
What are the "categories of noise" he describes?
1. roars, claps, falling water, driving, bellows
2. whistles, snores, snorts
3. whispers, mutterings, rustlings, grumbles, grunts, gurgles
4. shrill sounds, cracks, buzzings, jingles, shuffles
5. percussive noises using metal, wood, skin, stone, bakes earth, etc
6. animal and human voices, shouts, moans, screams, laughter, rattling, sobs
