“Why shouldn’t there be a thousand or more ways of building loudspeakers? […] Every sculptured loudspeaker has certain special characteristics, so my problem becomes that of finding what sound I can put in so as to reveal the unique properties of the material.” — David Tudor
The evolution of David Tudor’s “Rainforest” goes back to a 1968 commission by Merce Cunningham. Tudor was asked to create a sonic element for Cunningham’s dance piece of the same name, also featuring Andy Warhol’s “Silver Clouds,” floating mylar pillows filled with helium and costumes by Jasper Johns. Using 8 audio transducers (essentially speakers without cones), phonograph cartridges, contact microphones and two sets of loudspeakers, Tudor came up with an approach to investigate the resonance of physical objects, utilizing simple signal generators, real-time filtering and feedback processes. Within a year, Tudor had expanded upon that initial vision, morphing the concept into a multi-channel system for performing in concert settings. He also added in field recordings of birds and insects to the initial use of electronic sounds, all modified by an interactive array of filters and resonant objects. (Realizations of both of these versions of “Rainforest” can be heard on the David Tudor & Gordon Mumma release.)
