Scattered about the streets near
the center of the city of Vitoria, members of an orchestra simultaneously played
the same music. Pedestrians experienced the music differently depending on which
street they walked past, the speed at which they walked, and by which direction
they were headed. Strolling through the symphony orchestra, pedestrians were
able to experience each instrument independently without failing to perceive
the music being played.
The musicians wore tiny radio receivers with earpieces while the music was
broadcast over a local radio station. This allowed them to play in sync despite
their physical separation. At the same time, the radio program itself encouraged
citizens to go out into the streets to experience the performance live.
The orchestra, called the Orquesta Gregorio Solabarrieta, played the suite
from Prokofiev's "Romeo y Julieta," Charles Ives' "The Unanswered
Question," a selection from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," Strauss'
pieces "Eljen a Magyar" and "Off to the Hunt!," and Khachaturian's "Sabre
Dance."
The Victoria-Gasteiz City Council commissioned the mmmm... group
for the Disonancias program. Disonancias is a cultural program aimed at companies,
research centres and public entities interested in collaborating with artists
in order to promote innovation.