While Pellestrina dreams

Pellestrina is an idyllic, unspoilt little island in the south of the Venetian lagoon, much less frequented by tourists than the likes of Lido or Murano.

Here we’re sitting on harbour side of this unusually long, thin island, enjoying an unspoilt and peaceful view that’s only interrupted by the roaring of passing speedboats and motorboats every few minutes.

In the background you can hear lapping waves, children playing, the occasional dog bark – and then the right-to-left passing of 1, 2 and then 3 motorboats.

Here’s a short video clip of the original sound being recorded in Pellestrina:

And here’s the full recording:

City version:

When the speedboats pass you at close quarters on a very still day, in such an unspoilt, quiet place, it’s as if it’s the loudest sound in the world – the roar of the engine takes on a sense of drama and dominates the soundscape in a way it just wouldn’t in a busier environment such as the main Venetian islands, for instance.

For this reimagined piece, we’re accompanied by some beautiful, quiet ambient sounds that represent the calmness of our state of mind on this baking hot August afternoon – but then strings warn us of the impending interruption to our peace.

The speedboats themselves come with a fanfare of trumpets, multiple synth lines and even a male singer hidden away in the mix, to emphasise, heighten and represent this experience in sound.

Memory version: