Furthering Impressionism

Frederick Wedmore described impressionism as an act of capturing things “Not just as they are, but just as they appear to be”.

I’ve decided to use this idea to extend impressionism beyond the visible into the realm of the audible, challenging myself to do so by complimenting the work ‘Bain à la Grenouillère’ by Claude Monet, with a soundscape.

Claude Debussy didn’t consider his music to be impressionist, he felt the term was used poorly by critics in his time. I agree with this as I feel that expressing impressionism as a sound was not truly possible until the digital age. With modern methods of recording and composition, we can look beyond conventional ideas of what constitutes an instrument and focus on sound at a deeper level.

To me, impressionism in sound requires little to no emphasis on technical extravagance, in fact, the detail that comes with precision and realism is contrary to the art. The way in which every sound moves and combines to influence how the listener feels must be the tenet of impressionist sound.

Painting this soundscape required exploration into how birds, silence, water and wood could become more than atmospheric, but instrumental in a composition, to hold as much musical value as any classical instrument.

Headphones are recommended for a better listening experience.