Zvuchashchii landshaft Arktiki

Abstract

The article introduces the concept of sound landscape as a novel methodological approach in the area of Siberian studies for application in research fields such as ethnomusicology and arts history. The Arctic is one of the quietest places on Earth, where the sound sensitivity to the acoustics of nature has been always heightened. This is reflected in the musical folklore of peoples inhabiting the Arctic. The authors explicate the concept of sound landscape as a complex phenomenon comprised of several layers: the intonational interaction with nature (i.e. the ways in which voices of nature are embedded in sounds and understood in rites and folklore); the projection of human personality onto the outer world (as reflected in epics or rituals); and the use of imitative phonoinstruments. The authors argue that the approach elaborated enables researchers to see and examine the elusive sonic aspects of culture that have often remained unnoticed.