Odyssea – en reserapport från en konstnärlig odyssé

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze and describe various sources of artistic inspiration and, in addition, how other aspects have influenced a compositional process of which both the inclusion and exclusion of sound have been critical factors. The primary sources of inspiration are the sound designs of the science fiction movie genre; created by humans for humans from the perspective as to how it actually sounds in space. The science fiction movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1 968), with director Stanley Kubrick’s fastidious attempt to achieve authenticity and perfection, became the focal point of the study: is Kubrick’s sound design correct? As a means in finding answers, the astronaut Christer Fuglesang was interviewed, with questions pertaining to his own perception of sounds in space. With examples from Kubrick’s movie, Fuglesang described and compared these with his own recollections. As a basis for the analysis of Kubrick’s movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, the model of classification as presented by Johnny Wingstedt was chosen, in which the contents of the musical narrative are divided into separate classes and, from a multi-modal perspective, combined with sound, picture, plot and dialogue. As the sound editing in Kubrick’s movie is as crucial as the music itself in conveying meaning, sound as a factor was included in Wingstedt’s model of classification.