Envisioning Nature: Sound-image Relations During a Musical Performance

Abstract

Daily life is full of examples of how visual information can have a powerful effect, and how this type of information plays a direct role in how music is perceived. But does sight dominate sound? Or is this based on does this rely on the type of artwork, or the arbitrary or personal association of an individual receiving it? This study is based on the creation and substantiation of visual components for an audiovisual performance, visuals that have an aim to not overwhelm the other elements or dominate the performance. This performance contains a growing quantity of musicians playing acoustical baroque music, and the visual aspect is created after conducting qualitative research. This research is done through experimenting with open rehearsals followed by in-depth interviews carried out on a varied sample of participants. Out of the collected primary and secondary data we conclude that the type of visual information plays a direct role on perception, just like the auditory element does. In this case one of the most important factors influencing the visuals is the harmony between these two elements, which means that what the audience sees and hears has to be connected. Ultimately this caused the performance to consist of visuals connected to the auditory element in a variety of ways.