Soundscapes of the Urban Past: Staged Sound as Mediated Cultural Heritage (Sound Studies)

We cannot simply listen to our urban past. Yet we encounter a rich cultural heritage of city sounds presented in text, radio and film. How can such 'staged sounds' express the changing identities of cities? This volume presents a collection of studies on the staging of Amsterdam, Berlin and London soundscapes in historical documents, radio plays and films, and offers insights into themes such as film sound theory and museum audio guides. In doing so, this book puts contemporary controversies on urban sound in historical perspective, and contextualises iconic presentations of cities. It addresses academics, students, and museum workers alike. With contributions by Jasper Aalbers, Karin Bijsterveld, Carolyn Birdsall, Ross Brown, Andrew Crisell, Andreas Fickers, Annelies Jacobs, Evi Karathanasopoulou, Patricia Pisters, Holger Schulze, Mark M. Smith and Jonathan Sterne. We cannot simply listen to our urban past. Yet we encounter a rich cultural heritage of city sounds presented in text, radio and film. How can such »staged sounds« express the changing identities of cities? This volume presents a collection of studies on the staging of Amsterdam, Berlin and London soundscapes in historical documents, radio plays and films, and offers insights into themes such as film sound theory and museum audio guides. In doing so, this book puts contemporary controversies on urban sound in historical perspective, and contextualises iconic presentations of cities. It addresses academics, students, and museum workers alike. Cover 1 Editorial Board 3 Contents 7 Sound Studies 4 Contents 7 Introduction 12 Shifting Sounds. Textualization and Dramatization of Urban Soundscapes 32 Why Historians of the Auditory Urban Past Might Consider Getting Their Ears Wet 68 Sounds Familiar. Intermediality and Remediation in the Written, Sonic and Audiovisual Narratives of Berlin Alexanderplatz 78 The Chirping of a Little Bird. Some (Film) Theoretical Reflections 118 Sonic Artefacts. Reality Codes of Urbanity in Early German Radio Documentary 130 Radio Documentary and the Formation of Urban Aesthetics 170 Soundscape, Landscape, Escape 182 The Corporeality of Listening. Experiencing Soundscapes on Audio Guides 196 The Eleventh of the Eleventh of the Eleventh. The Theatre of Memorial Silence 210 Authors 222 List of Illustrations 228 Soundscape,Media,Culture,Museum,History,Radio,Film,Sound,Urbanity,Cultural History,Urban Studies,Musicology "We cannot simply listen to our urban past. Yet we have a rich cultural heritage of city sounds presented in text, radio and film, both in fictional and documentary genres. How did such "staged sounds" express the changing identities of cities? DId different formats produce different dramatizations of the experience of urban sounds? This fifth volume of the Sound Studies series presents a collection of studies on the staging of Amsterdam, Berlin and London soundscapes in historical documents, radio plays and films--as mediated cultural heritage. In addition, it offers expansions on themes such as film sound theory, missing sounds, recorded silence, urban aesthetics, the notion of soudscape and museum audio guide. In doing so, this book puts contemporary clashes over urban sound into historical perspective, and contextualises iconic presentations of cities. It will not only interest researchers and students, but also museum professionals who would like to employ sound and rethink the visually-oriented presentation of urban history in exhibitions."--Page 4 of cover We Cannot Simply Listen To Our Urban Past. Yet We Encounter A Rich Cultural Heritage Of City Sounds Presented In Text, Radio And Film. How Can Such Staged Sounds Express The Changing Identities Of Cities? This Volume Presents A Collection Of Studies On The Staging Of Amsterdam, Berlin And London Soundscapes In Historical Documents, Radio Plays And Films, And Offers Insights Into Themes Such As Film Sound Theory And Museum Audio Guides. In Doing So, This Book Puts Contemporary Controversies On Urban Sound In Historical Perspective, And Contextualises Iconic Presentations Of Cities. It Addresses Academics, Students, And Museum Workers Alike. Karin Bijsterveld (ed.). International Conference Proceedings. Includes Bibliographical References. Review text: "Versuche, historische Soundscapes zu analysieren, sehen sich mit dem nicht umgehbaren Problem konfrontiert, dass die Klangumwelten selbst als Gegenstand nicht direkt erfahrbar sind, sondern über verschiedene Medialisierungen, vornehmlich über textuelle Quellen, vermittelt werden. Der vorliegende Sammelband nimmt sich dieses Problems auf methodisch innovative Weise an." Jan-Friedrich Missfelder, H-Soz-u-Kult, 24.09.2013 Besprochen in: GMK-Newsletter, 4 (2013) Biographical note: Karin Bijsterveld is a historian and Professor of Science, Technology and Modern Culture at Maastricht University, Netherlands. Her research focuses on technological cultures of sound. She co-edited the "Oxford Handbook of Sound Studies" (together with Trevor Pinch)