Dr. Hannes Leopoldseder tells the story of the first Soundcloud, English subtitles will follow soon!

The Linzer Klangwolke (Cloud of Sound) is in every respect a truly extraordinary open-air event that has been held annually since 1979 in early September in the Austrian city of Linz. Its defining features are the innovative, creative use of new multimedia technologies, the enormous physical scale of the production itself, and the audiences that have been attending in huge numbers over the past 30 years.

Foto 1979 © PeterPeter, Linzer Klangwolke, 18.9.1979, Musik: Anton Bruckner: Symphonie Nr. 8 c-Moll, Dirigent: Bernard Haitink, Orchester: Concertgebouw Orchester Amsterdam, Visualisierung: Walter Haupt, Besucher im Donaupark: 100.000

Each Klangwolke consists of three concerts, some of which are accompanied by truly spectacular visualizations. Kicking off each year’s Klangwolke series is the Visualized Klangwolke, in which modern musical works are the centerpiece of a production featuring, among other things, lasers, video projections, fireworks, ships, cranes, balloons, helicopters and airplanes.

Foto 1980 © Herzog, Linzer Klangwolke, 9.9.1980, Musik: Anton Bruckner: Symphonie Nr. 4 Es-Dur, Dirigent: Theodor Guschlbauer, Orchester: Bruckner Orchester Linz, Visualisierung: Walter Haupt, Otto Piene, Besucher im Donaupark: 60.000

The very first Visualized Klangwolke was the opening event of the Ars Electronica Festival that likewise made its debut in 1979. Back then, a band played the music on site; since 1980, the musical program is performed live in Linz’s Brucknerhaus concert hall and broadcast to the audience gathered in the Donaupark. This verdant oasis extending about 500 meters along the Danube riverbank right in the heart of downtown Linz is enveloped in a cloud of sound generated by 250,000 watts of electrical power.

Foto 2009 – Regen © Pyrovision GmbH, Visualisierte Linzer Klangwolke, 5.9.2009, “Flut”, Konzept, Regie, Live-Video: Airan Berg, Komposition: Dick van der Harst, CREATURE DESIGN, Bewegungsregie: Roger Titley, Text, Regie, Visuals: Martina Winkel

Hannes Leopoldseder and Wolfgang Winkler have written their stories of the Soundcloud.

The Visualized Klangwolke is a favorite of listeners/viewers from throughout the region, with attendance regularly topping 100,000. This event is followed by the Classic Klangwolke, the opening concert of the so-called Bruckner Festival, and a Kid’s Klangwolke that has been presenting music especially attuned to youthful concertgoers since 1998.