The Art of Noises

Since this reading is formatted like a letter, I would have been interested to read Pratella's, the composer Russolo seems to be writing to, response.  Focusing on noise's complexity compliments the experimentation and innovation of the Futurist movement, but I would have liked to hear the responding perspective of someone with musical knowledge.  I wonder whether someone like Pratella with musical knowledge, including familiarity with music's history, would be as eager to "discard" violins, pianos, double-basses, and organs as Russolo, or whether they would want to use those instruments in a new way.  As a violinist, I know that an instrument for the capacity of such beautiful sound also has the potential to produce dissonance and noise.  And perhaps I took some of this letter too literally or personally, but he classifies orchestral pieces as predictable and boring, which hurt the ethos of his argument, because he seems unaware of the subtleties and musical theory that lies underneath the "boring" surface of orchestra music, making traditional/classical music a lot less predictable than he may realize.  He elevates the Futurist composers and beautiful complexity of putting noises together as if that is the only kind of music that can be complex, when so many different kinds of music can "create life" the way Futurist music does to him.  However, there is something intriguing about going out in the world and finding music in the noises we face.  And Russolo calling the ancient world "silent" in that there weren't any constant noise is an abstract, amazing thought that I can agree with after hearing his argument.  With instruments such as the "musical saw" being incorporated into today's music, Russolo's call to action to take that a step further and consider noises like shrieks, creaks, and splashes into the music-making and art-making process is inspiring.  Although I'm not willing to shun musical instruments, the message to expand our horizons and blend the lines between sound, noise, beauty, uglyness, and what is traditionally perceived as music to finding the music in everyday life is an important one, and one we should be willing to experiment with.