A fleeting memory in Florence
Next stop on our tour of the Three Words project is Florence, Italy, with this recording of the Piazza della Repubblica by Valerio Orlandini:
“The city centre is full of things to see (and to listen to) packed in a small space, and it is easily crossable with a pleasant walk.
“The sounds to focus on are many, and they belong to very different categories. Past and present blend, with horses and chariots riding side by side with taxis and buses, and you can listen to different languages, foods and craftsmanships.
“A sometime chaotic but always intelligible soundscape that tells many stories to those who walk with open ears.”
City version:
Oxford-based musician Kid Kin took the three words ///dishes.casual.briefing as inspiration for his reimagined piece, writing:
“I used the idea of how a short refrain of melody can instigate a fleeting memory of a treasured experience, not so much the moment itself, but the feeling.
“The type of memory I have standing at the kitchen window, washing the dishes, radio on, seemingly concentrating on the task at hand, when all of a sudden the sound of a violin emitting from the radio reminds me of a day in Tuscany, sat in any square in any walled town, watching the world go by.
“I play out the day in my head and imagine going back. When I’m back in the room, the dishes are done… but I’ll later discover they were not *really* done. Food remnants and grease marks will show I was taking the task all too casually, as my head was elsewhere.
“Make sure those dishes are clean, you don’t want the guests complaining.”
Memory version:
