Lise Lebleux

Sounds of the valley - Klänge des Tals is a sound installation designed specifically for the Bad Ischl post office in Austria as part of the European Capitals of Culture 2024. The composition is based on my own field recordings made in the Salzkammergut region and more specifically in Bad Ischl. During the residency, I was in search of sounds and acoustics characteristic of this region.

The sound installation was designed specifically for the stairwell of the Bad Ischl post office. The strong reverberation present in the exhibition space accentuates the echo recorded in the region. The composition confronts the sounds already present in the building, such as cars, passers-by and the bells of the nearby church, creating a constantly evolving mix in situ.

This sound installation inhabits the entire space and physically involves the viewer: as we enter the building, the sound broadcast from the top floor is like an invitation to climb the stairs and enter the rest of the space. The higher we go, the more precise and powerful the perception of sound becomes, creating a cloud of sound above us.

Philosopher and architect Richard Scoffier explains that Staircases don't just serve to serve floors, they allow us to rise and see things from a certain distance. The staircase is an architectural element that allows us to reach higher spaces where we can rise to see and be seen. It also represents a path to heaven, a direct path to the gods. The staircase of the Bad Ischl post office perfectly evokes this idea, as the building is overlooked by a large skylight. So this top floor is the closest you can get to heaven. Composer Meredith Monk evokes this idea of the relationship between heaven and earth in her live performances, notably during her performance in the Ann Hamilton Tower in 2008, where she played her album Songs of Ascension. In this performance, she used voice and music to experiment with the acoustics of the staircase.