Classical x Sound Design Works (Captured & Recreated Moments)

The Lonely Man in the Bar:
Friday night. A man sits quietly in a bar; his heart screams.

Alberto Ginastera: No. 2 'Danza de la moza donosa' from Danza Argentines with sounds captured from locations around Southbank Centre.

This is a performance by a classical pianist, and the people and places of London.

Listen, London depicts the multiple facets of life in metropolitan London as heard by a classical concert pianist. The performance combines the traditional framework of classical piano recital with sound design constructed from recorded and sampled sounds captured in London. Sounds and music are integrated carefully to connote various narratives, providing the audience a unique aural experience of the big city and its occupants—from bustling streets to subdued offices, the morning commute to vibrant nightclubs in Soho, businessmen in city parks to immigrants in China Town.

Piano/Sound-Design: Belle Chen
bellechen.com

Listen, London: The Lonely Man in the Bar || No. 2 'Danza de la moza donosa' from Danza Argentines

Listen, London: First Impression
Complete album available at: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/listen-london-first-impression/id906767159?uo=4&at=10lJZX

"Original and provocative" - Brian Eno

A tourist’s first impression of the city’s buzz and energy upon arriving in London; from Heathrow Airport into central London.

Francis Poulenc: Intermezzo No. 1 
With sounds captured from: Oxford Street, Covent Garden, the British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, London Underground. 

Piano & Sound Design: Belle Chen 
www.bellechen.com
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Inspired by the people and the soundscapes of London, Listen, London: First Impression is a series of ‘sonic portraits’ that creates a unique listening experience of the multiple facets of London. Here, a classical pianist presents how she hears life in the big city through integrating sound design and classical piano- from the bustling streets, the morning commute, the vibrant bars in Soho, the city parks in summer, to the multicultural China Town.

Following a series of events from the morning into late night, the sound design component is constructed from recorded and sampled sounds captured in London, and integrated with music to connote various narratives. The classical music featured are specifically chosen to highlight and reinforce the narratives.

From the Artist:

Upon arriving in London in 2011, I was immediately captivated by the sounds of this city; from the assault of emergency sirens on the street, the flapping of the ticket gates in underground stations, the momentary peacefulness in the parks, the eclectic mix of multicultural dialogues, to the bustling Friday nights. I became fascinated with London and its people, and I wanted to capture specific and impressionable moments of London into ‘time capsules’ that I can recreate and share with others at any time and at any place. As a classical pianist, I saw the potential to utilize my craft to create and share many different stories of London through performance. But that is not enough. I want London to also be a performer, and to speak directly to the audience. The result was the creation of Listen, London. 

I hope you will enjoy what London and I have to offer.

Belle Chen

Listen, London (2014): The Opening || Intermezzo No. 1 (Demo Only)

Listen, London: The Tree <No. 5 'The Spruce' From The Tree Suite>

When I discovered NASA's public domain archive of sounds from space, I HAD to create something with them! Celebrating sounds & Australian composer- Peter Sculthorpe.

www.bellechen.com

Stars / Peter Sculthorpe & Space Sounds

From Belle Chen's new concept album 'Mediterranean Sounds'

Available from iTunes: 
https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/mediterranean-sounds/id1141680722

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/60JXmnIa0Ms7sSV9sZlKsj

Physical CD:
www.eitomusic.com/mediterranean-sounds

Mediterranean Sounds

MEDITERRANEAN SOUNDS (2016): A Spice Market In Istanbul & Black Earth By Fazil Say

Handpicked by Brian Eno as one to watch, pianist Belle Chen has distinguished herself with her unique live performances and recorded works that are unbound by tradition- often mixing classical music language across multiple genres through improvisation, electronics, extended technique, and sound design.