Sound Dome
Sound Dome
What is a sound dome?
This question can be answered quite literally: a dome-cupola, which emits sounds. But it is more than just that. Our sound dome is also a projection screen with a sound system behind it. Anyone sitting in the middle will hear sounds coming from all directions. The world of sounds is evoked here starting with those of nature to composed music but the experience visitors have here expands beyond this dimension. This dome is also a laboratory producing new sounds: alchemy at the highest level. It is a unique creation with unforeseeable potential.
It is worth returning here from time to time and making new discoveries. The first show conveys the sounds and images of the Carpathian Basin from unique audio and visual perspectives.
The 360-degree dome is also a projection screen, and the 27.4-channel ambisonic sound system is located behind it. Here, those who sit in the middle of the square can turn their heads! The sound world comes to life, from the sounds of nature to composed music. This is a laboratory for the production of new sounds, alchemy at its highest level. A unique creation, its possibilities are unimaginable. You have to come here from time to time to learn about the latest discoveries.
-webp.webp)
In the kaleidoscope – and on this occasion the Sound Dome kaleidoscope acts in magical way – his music and the soundspace open up together uniquely to evoke the indescribable Himalayan environment in which the pilgrim-scientist Sandor Csoma lived out his days among the mountains.
Language: English
Both the visual and musical worlds of the Csoma Kaleidoscope reach back to Tibor Szemző's Arboretum Suite (2002) and his film The Guest of Life (2006). In the kaleidoscope – and on this occasion the Sound Dome kaleidoscope acts in magical way – his music and the soundspace open up together uniquely to evoke the indescribable Himalayan environment in which the pilgrim-scientist Sandor Csoma lived out his days among the mountains.
"To the scholars of his generation, Csoma was an obscure figure from Transylvania, abandoned and stateless among the Himalayan mountains, but from their peaks he cast the shadow of a giant across Central Asia."
W.W. Hunter
In this work, we hear the voice of Sándor Kőrösi Csoma delivering his personal account, originally written for a certain Captain Kennedy. In it he relates his travels and his aims after his detention by the British authorities on suspicion of espionage. Doctor Gerard, the British doctor who visits Csoma in his cell, also contributes as fragments of the Hindu world filter in through the kaleidoscope of Francis Bain's enchanting narrative. The source of the texts is the Csoma biography Life and Works of Alexander Csoma de Körös / Kőrösi Csoma Sándor dolgozatai (1885) by Tivadar Duka. The intimate, personal narration, spoken from an eyewitness perspective, is embedded in and accompanied by instrumental and vocal music that is orchestrated for the unique tonal qualities of the kaleidoscope, meanwhile the images multiply in a kaleidoscopic fashion fully in harmony with the music. During the nineteen movements of the performance, the approach to Csoma is assembled and we the audience come closer to understanding what this ’adventure' must have been like from the inside, and to experiencing the incomparable experience of spaciousness.
staff
Tibor Szemző – director, music and text
Dániel Németh – visuals
Ákos Lovász – sound design
Vazul Mandli – curator
the film crew
István “Taikyo” Szaladják – photography
Gábor Roskó – paintings
Kása Papp, Bálint Kolozsváry - animations
Teri Losonci – editor
György Durst, Attila Bognár – producers
the musicians
The Gordian Knot Creative Music Lab
Zsombor Dudás – drums and percussions
Ildikó Fodor – soprano voice
Tamás Geröly – gardon
László Gőz – basstrumpet, sea shells, tillinkó
István Grencsó – tenor saxophone
Ernst Hirschberg – keyboards
Mihály Huszár – electric double bass, bass guitar
Szabolcs Keresteš – piano, celesta
László Kéringer – tenor voice
Zsigmond Lázár – violin
Éva Posvanecz – viola
Alois Samson – wind controller
Tibor Szemző – narrator, bassflute, 8mm-phone
T. Bali – electric guitar
Voces Aequales Ensemble
Zoltán Gavodi – countertenor voice
Csaba Gyulai – tenor voice
Zoltán Mizsei – baritone voice
Tomasini String Quartet
László Paulik, Erzsébet Rácz – violin
Éva Posvanecz – viola
Balázs Máté – cello
Lobsang Dhamchoe – chanting voice
Lama Lobsang Gedun – recitation
recording and sound design
Alois Samson – Fodderbasis
István Horváth – HEAR Studio
László Hortobágyi – Tharnox Studio
Zoltán Regenye Regi – HSB Mobile Studio (India)
Károly Liszkai – Studio RH
Tamás Zányi – Saint Audio
Károly Göllner – CPT Mures Mobile Studio (Romania)
Viktor Szabó – Budapest Music Center
literary sources
Theodore Duka: Life and Works of Alexander Csoma de Körös Francis William Bain: An Incarnation of the Snow, The Substance of a Dream
consultants
Eszter Molnár, Caroline Bodóczky, Gábor Ferenczi
© & ℗ Tibor Szemző 2002-2023 all right seserved
The original English and Hungarian versions of the CSOMA KALEIDOSCOPE are both available.
In the kaleidoscope – and on this occasion the Sound Dome kaleidoscope acts in magical way – his music and the soundspace open up together uniquely to evoke the indescribable Himalayan environment in which the pilgrim-scientist Sandor Csoma lived out his days among the mountains.
Language: Hungarian
Both the visual and musical worlds of the Csoma Kaleidoscope reach back to Tibor Szemző's Arboretum Suite (2002) and his film The Guest of Life (2006). In the kaleidoscope – and on this occasion the Sound Dome kaleidoscope acts in magical way – his music and the soundspace open up together uniquely to evoke the indescribable Himalayan environment in which the pilgrim-scientist Sandor Csoma lived out his days among the mountains.
"To the scholars of his generation, Csoma was an obscure figure from Transylvania, abandoned and stateless among the Himalayan mountains, but from their peaks he cast the shadow of a giant across Central Asia."
W.W. Hunter
In this work, we hear the voice of Sándor Kőrösi Csoma delivering his personal account, originally written for a certain Captain Kennedy. In it he relates his travels and his aims after his detention by the British authorities on suspicion of espionage. Doctor Gerard, the British doctor who visits Csoma in his cell, also contributes as fragments of the Hindu world filter in through the kaleidoscope of Francis Bain's enchanting narrative. The source of the texts is the Csoma biography Life and Works of Alexander Csoma de Körös / Kőrösi Csoma Sándor dolgozatai (1885) by Tivadar Duka. The intimate, personal narration, spoken from an eyewitness perspective, is embedded in and accompanied by instrumental and vocal music that is orchestrated for the unique tonal qualities of the kaleidoscope, meanwhile the images multiply in a kaleidoscopic fashion fully in harmony with the music. During the nineteen movements of the performance, the approach to Csoma is assembled and we the audience come closer to understanding what this ’adventure' must have been like from the inside, and to experiencing the incomparable experience of spaciousness.
staff
Tibor Szemző – director, music and text
Dániel Németh – visuals
Ákos Lovász – sound design
Vazul Mandli – curator
the film crew
István “Taikyo” Szaladják – photography
Gábor Roskó – paintings
Kása Papp, Bálint Kolozsváry - animations
Teri Losonci – editor
György Durst, Attila Bognár – producers
the musicians
The Gordian Knot Creative Music Lab
Zsombor Dudás – drums and percussions
Ildikó Fodor – soprano voice
Tamás Geröly – gardon
László Gőz – basstrumpet, sea shells, tillinkó
István Grencsó – tenor saxophone
Ernst Hirschberg – keyboards
Mihály Huszár – electric double bass, bass guitar
Szabolcs Keresteš – piano, celesta
László Kéringer – tenor voice
Zsigmond Lázár – violin
Éva Posvanecz – viola
Alois Samson – wind controller
Tibor Szemző – narrator, bassflute, 8mm-phone
T. Bali – electric guitar
Voces Aequales Ensemble
Zoltán Gavodi – countertenor voice
Csaba Gyulai – tenor voice
Zoltán Mizsei – baritone voice
Tomasini String Quartet
László Paulik, Erzsébet Rácz – violin
Éva Posvanecz – viola
Balázs Máté – cello
Lobsang Dhamchoe – chanting voice
Lama Lobsang Gedun – recitation
recording and sound design
Alois Samson – Fodderbasis
István Horváth – HEAR Studio
László Hortobágyi – Tharnox Studio
Zoltán Regenye Regi – HSB Mobile Studio (India)
Károly Liszkai – Studio RH
Tamás Zányi – Saint Audio
Károly Göllner – CPT Mures Mobile Studio (Romania)
Viktor Szabó – Budapest Music Center
literary sources
Theodore Duka: Life and Works of Alexander Csoma de Körös Francis William Bain: An Incarnation of the Snow, The Substance of a Dream
consultants
Eszter Molnár, Caroline Bodóczky, Gábor Ferenczi
© & ℗ Tibor Szemző 2002-2023 all right seserved
The original English and Hungarian versions of the CSOMA KALEIDOSCOPE are both available.
The Symphonic Poem for 100 Metronomes is one of György Ligeti's best-known compositions, the visual aesthetic of which leaves a deep impression on all who witness it. It is no coincidence that this piece was also played at the time of his final farewell. The work is hypnotic and provokes deep reflections on the themes of time, existence and our relationship with the universe. The Symphonic Poem is also a critique of György Ligeti's contemporary musical milieu and the radical composers who saw themselves as such. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of György Ligeti's birth, we start the 100 metronomes on the screen of the Sound Dome, as the composer instructed, and listen from the centre of the magical space as the clicks run out of time, together or separately, until they are all silenced.
DOME 010 – 'Tales from the Lakeside'-day
The Lengemesék, characterized by Judit Berg, are a big crowd favorite in domestic waters, from which a TV series and two full-length cartoons were made. Now they are reviving in a new dimension not only for older kindergarten and elementary school children.
Language: hungarian
Sound Dome - DOME 000 Moods
It is a unique creation, its possibilities are unpredictable. You have to come here from time to time to get to know the latest discoveries. The first message conveys the sounds and images of the Carpathian Basin from a special auditory and visual perspective.
DOME 009 – Cloudhitects: Point Cloud Budapest
The next show at the Sound Dome is a point cloud journey that exhibits the sights of Budapest in a naturalistic point cloud environment. All these images begin to behave in an abstract way at a certain point in the audio-visual projection, with spaces merging into each other during the journey. The abstractions reinterpret the scanned spaces and they come to life on the surface of the Dome. The Parliament building, Chain Bridge, Várkert Bazaar, Hold Street, Heroes' Square, the Academy of Sciences, the National Gallery and the Eastern Railway Station all appear in the production.
Age limit classification
We do not recommend viewing the show for viewers under the age of 14.
DOME 008 – BOSCH The Garden of Earthly Delights
Although the Bosch exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts has ended, from December the House of Music is bringing the Garden of Earthly Delights to life. In the domed room a 360-degree projection of Miss Virgács’ (Nikolett Németh) collage animation technique sets the Dutch painter’s altar triptych in motion to the accompaniment of contemporary polyphonic choral works by Cantemus, subtly distorted and modulated by MA'AM (Anna Makay), and complemented by diabolical sound sequences.
Age limit classification
We do not recommend viewing the show for viewers under the age of 14.
DOME 006 - The Intergalactic Gateway
What can the Sound Dome do? What is ’surround sound’? What is 360-degree projection? How are works produced for a unique audio-visual system like this? On this occasion, the Sound Dome itself will answer – using the voice of the actor Barbara Hegyi – more questions than you can shake a stick at, using a projection to lead the audience on a fabulous journey, illustrated with excerpts from the content currently being shown at the Dome. This short film aims partly to show the variety of ways in which the creators are able to use the technology built into the space, and partly to introduce viewers to the diversity of genres that can be explored within it. They can experience, for example, what happens when sound and image are in synch, and what it is like to have visual content responding instantly to sound and music at any given moment.
The virtual tour, which sets off from Liszt Ferenc Airport, offers visitors a playful way of exploring the complex system of the Sound Dome and its hidden potential.
Vazul Endre Mándli is the artistic curator of the new content woven together for the Sound Dome, Panni Néder is the story writer and director, while the sound engineer for the compilation is Tamás Zányi, the sound engineer for the Oscar-winning film Son of Saul, who has won multiple awards and international acclaim. The visual content was created by Gáspár Batta and András Juhász.
The screening of "Sound Dome: The Intergalactic Gateway" will be presented by the House of Music Hungary in cooperation with Budapest Airport as part of BrainBar 2022 and will then be included in the content available daily.
DOME 001 - Siblicity
Siblicity – created by the brothers Péter and Gábor Halász – invites you on a journey of self-discovery, a kind of hypnosis, with visual content provided by Makró VJ and András Nagy.
The ever-evolving layers of visual and audio worlds that mix analogue and digital techniques merge into three-dimensional audio-visual content. Using a microscope, Macro VJ creates his own universe and visual gestures from materials collected in nature. For this work, bird feathers and leaves were collected and placed under the microscope, which András Nagy has set into dialogue with animated visual content that projects onto the sound dome screen. In a strange vision of colours and geometric patterns, everyone can actually visualise whatever they wish, and to the extent their imagination allows. They are feathers and plant vines, yet they can be compared to the blood vessels of the human body. Free association is permitted, but the experience is hypnotic.
Creators: Siblicity (Péter and Gábor Halász), András Nagy, Makro VJ (Dávid Kara, Aniko Skribek)
Age rating
This performance is not recommended for children under the age of 12.
Warning to those at risk of photosensitivity attacks
A small percentage of people may suffer seizures when exposed to certain visual images, including the flashing lights and patterns that form part of the show.
Photo credit: Orsolya Varga
DOME_LIVE
The DOME_LIVE series of programs of the Hungarian House of Music dedicates an evening every month to present new audiovisual performances. During the evenings, the audience can see live instrumental or electroacoustic concerts, usually supplemented with visual material, or a premiere screening of the content produced here.
SOUND DOME OPENING HOURS
Monday closed (and closed on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of each month)
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM
Closing of the ticket office and last screening: 5.30 PM
Friday 10 AM to 8 PM
Closing of the ticket office and last screening: 7.30 PM
ARRIVAL
We can't deviate from the Hangman screening order, so if the group is 10-15 minutes late, unfortunately we can't let it in. Please take this into account and thank you for your understanding.
WARDROBE
The use of the cloakroom is free of charge and is obligatory for visiting exhibitions and events. Luggage, backpacks of any size, umbrella and bag are mandatory in the locker room. The exhibition and screening room will close at 6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with ticketing and admission closed at 5:30 p.m. Please leave the area when the closing colleagues show up and visit the cloakroom by 18:00 at the latest if necessary.
During the summer, the cloakroom is not open, you can use the lockers on level -1 for your luggage.
PARKING
With the ticket redeemed online, the first two hours of parking in the Museum Underground Garage are free on the day of the visit. Please validate your parking tickets at the information desk of the House of Music Hungary.
Warning of the risk of photosensitivity attacks
A small percentage of people may experience seizures due to certain visual images, including flashing lights and patterns that appear as part of the show.
