Special Sound traces the fascinating creation and legacy of the BBC's electronic music studio, the Radiophonic Workshop, in the context of other studios in Europe and America. The BBC built a studio to provide its own avant-garde dramatic productions with experimental sounds "neither music nor sound effect." Quickly, however, a popular kind of electronic music emerged in the form of quirky jingles, signature tunes such as Doctor Who, and incidental music for hundreds of programs. These influential sounds and styles, heard by millions of listeners over decades of operation on television and radio, have served as a primary inspiration for the use of electronic instruments in popular music. Using in-depth research in the studio's archives and papers, this book tells the history of the many engineers, composers, directors, and producers behind the studio to trace the shifting perception towards electronic music in Britain. Combining historical discussion of the people and instruments in the workshop with analysis of specific works, Louis Niebur creates a new model for understanding how the Radiophonic Workshop fits into the larger history of electronic music.

About the Author
Louis Niebur is Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Reviews
Niebur's research into this early history of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is wickedly illuminating * David Toop, Times Higher Education *
excellent ... [Neibur] draws on specially undertaken and published interviews with key participants, as well as a treasure trove of written material from the BBC Written Archives Centre, and original programmes. * Timothy Boon, British Journal for the History of Science *
Louis Niebur delves illuminatingly into a hitherto untold story to throw a deserved spotlight on the creative talents involved. * Michael Quinn, Editor's Choice for 2011, Classical Music Magazine *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195368406
Author Louis Niebur
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 510g
Dimensions(mm) 237mm * 162mm * 24mm