Customer Reviews

Space Calculated in Seconds

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book tells the story of the world's first fully automated multi-media experience. The Phillips pavillion at the 1958 Worlds Fair was unusual in that it didn't merely showcase the company's products---Philips demonstrated the technological feats they were capable of through an eight minute display of light, film, color and sound known as 'Poem Electronique.' Two of the key figures in the story are, of course, the architect Le Corbusier and the composer Edgard Varese; anyone interested in either of these two would enjoy this book. Those familiar with Varese's music from this project would be especially interested to learn the context in which it was originally set. Iannis Xenakis also appears here as Le Corbusier's assistant. Anyone interested in Xenakis would enjoy this book as it is after completion of the 'Poem Electronique' that music becomes his primary focus. The book is well-researched, well-written, and well-presented. There are many many illustrations, which help---through them we get a better idea of what the 'Poem Electronique' experience was like, we get to see how the designs for it progressed on paper, and we get to see the constructions as they were being put together. This book examines a very unique meeting of art and technology, one that can neve again be experienced as originally intended.