Here's another recording of ambient sounds of the city of Venice. This soundscape is of Piazza San Marco just as the sun rises, a little before 6 AM. The square is almost empty. The microphone is placed in the dead center, facing the Basilica. Two spazzolini (streetsweepers) methodically broom the paving stones. There are moments when I am completely alone in the Piazza. At most, I see 15 people during the entire 8.5 minute recording.
The recording ends with the beautiful morning bells from the Campanile, as they have sung for centuries. This is the day's first ringing. (Note: these bells are quite difficult to record, and this was my 6th or 7th attempt. The problem is that they are so exceptionally loud relative to the low ambient levels of the Piazza that they inevitably overload the microphone when they start up. Thanks to my friend, Leo Del Aguila, Senior Recording Engineer at National Public Radio, for tips on how to overcome the problem.)
Windows users: right click on this link, choose "save target as" and specify where you want the file to be saved. Or simply left click to auto download it to your temporary folder.
Mac users: click and hold down this link, then choose "download link to disk" and specify where you want the file to be saved.
Please alert me to any trouble you have getting/hearing the file.
Oh, this is just wonderful! I took a recording tape player on my first trip to Italy--and just recorded over some of the music I listened to on the way there. I got the sounds of the morning market; a rooster crowing in Orvieto; an organ grinder in Rome...it was great hearing those sounds!
This sounds like it could be the soundtrack for a film...sigh.
Posted by: Pamela | December 31, 2004 at 02:47 PM
doesnt show
Posted by: nom | January 26, 2012 at 08:38 AM