SZENE
Salzburg

The Sigmundstor in the east of Salzburg, better known locally as the Neutor, links the narrow streets of the Altstadt with the more open regions beyond and forms a short cut that provides the most important link to the western sections of the city. The words Te saxa loquuntur (The stones speak to thee) aboveits eastern gateway commemorat its architect Sigismund Count Schrattenbach.

The title of Marco Döttlinger’s multi-channel sound installation makes reference to this inscription but broadens it. Instead of focusing on a single ruler, it addresses the people of the city and the acoustic footprints they leave behind from their daily paths and occupations. Specific sounds, so-called field recordings that have been made especially for this work in a variety of locations close to the Neutor at different times of day or night, provide its basic material. This is enhanced with composed instrumental passages so that audiences and passers-by using the tunnel experience a form of acoustic poetry that is related to this unique place of passage and expresses its ambience. This condensed urban sonic event works as a stimulus and enables the tunnel to resonate within its own spatial frequencies.

Marco Döttlinger is an Austrian composer and sonic artist. He studied composition, computer music and music theory in Salzburg, Paris and Basel and currently works at INM – the Institute of New Music at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. His instrumental compositions, electro- acoustic works and sound installations are primarily concerned with tiny shifts in micro-time on the boundary between flow and stasis.

Till 29. June, day & night accessible.

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Concept & Implementation: Marco Döttlinger
Support Fieldrecordings: Matthias Leboucher, Alexander Bauer, Jan Fredrich

Bass-Clarinet: Baptiste Rollet, Marco Sala (NAMES – New Art and Music Ensemble Salzburg)
Commissioned by SZENE Salzburg