Poets began using the tape recorder as a form of "writing media" almost as soon as it had become available to the public in the late forties and early fifties. The history of the expressive possibilities of the recording-extended voice is varied and complex. Information concerning its features can be found scattered among a very large number of printed documents and recordings which can take some effort to locate. One can begin their study with these few works:
Lars-Gunnar Bodin, editor, to The Pioneers
Five Text-Sound Artists (Phono Sueco CD: PSCD 63 1 & 2, 1992). Works by
Lars-Gunnar Bodin, Ilmar Laaban, Sten Hanson, Åke Hodell, and Bengt Emil
Johnson. The liner notes include an account of the development of
text-sound composition by one of its
founders.
Henri Chopin,
POESIE SONORE INTERNATIONALE (Paris: Jean-Michel Place, 1979). An
extensive history of sound poetry in French. This book was also published with
two cassettes
containing a comprehensive anthology of sound poetry that was being practiced
in the seventies.
Bob Cobbing and
Peter Mayer, Concerning Concrete Poetry, (London: Writers Forum,
1978)
François
Dufrêne, "Le Lettrisme et toujours pendant," Opus
International No. 40-41(Paris: Editions George Fall, 1973). Includes a
small record, L'Autonomatopek I containing rare examples of
poésie sonore and Lettrist poetry selected by
Dufrêne of work by himself, Bob Cobbing, Isidore Isou, Gil J. Wolman,
Jean-Louis Brau, Jacques Spacagna, and Henri Chopin.
Brion Gysin,
Here to Go: Planet R-101, interview by Terry Wilson (San Francisco:
Re/Search Publications, 1982).
Bernard
Heidsieck, Derviche/Le Robert (Paris: Les Editeurs Evidant, 1988). The
French text to Bernard Heidsieck's masterwork of 24 sound poems based on the
famous French dictionary. Bernard Heidsieck was the winner in of the national
French grand prize in poetry in 1991.
Arrigo
Lora-Totino, ed., futura poesia sonora (Milan: Cramps Records 5 CDs,
CRSCD 091-095, 1989). A CD release of an extensive sound poetry anthology
including contemporary readings of many historical sound poems. Originally
produced on seven
LPs in 1978. With an extensive booklet in Italian and English, containing
many documents and a critical history by Lora-Totino.
Christian Scholz, Untursuchungen zur
Geshichte und Typologie der Lautpoesie (Obermichelbach:
Gertraud Scholz Verlag, 1989). The history and
practice of text-sound composition is part of the larger history of sound
poetry. This work contains perhaps the most extensive bibliography and
discography on sound poetry to date. As this present page is only a short
display of examples for the list weary, casual browser a somewhat longer
biblio/discography can also be accessed.
Klaus Schöning, ed., Neues
Hörspiel: Texte Partituren (Frankfort: Suhrkamp Verlag, 1969). A
classic anthology of das neue Hörspiel
work by such writers, composers, and sound poets as, Peter Handke, Max Bense,
Ludwig Harig, Ernst Jandl, Friederike Mayröcker, Franz Mon, Reinhard
Döhl, Gerhard Rühm, Kriwet, and Mauricio Kagel. Also contains a small
record of examples.
