"Soundscapes of Europe: Babel 1-n" is a cycle of language compositions by Ellen Fricke (1998/2025) for solo female voices and choir in all European languages, which takes its starting point in Chemnitz and Nova Gorica and will continue in future Capital of Culture years. The original basic idea of "Babel 1" (première 1998, Berlin) for human performers is to hear language in speech. The new basic idea for concerts and concert installations with AI performers (e.g. tablets on stands with ChatGPT-4o-Voice) is to hear the language model and its limits in speech. In the Babelmanufaktur (collaborators: Max Paolucci and Timo Freye), the opportunities and risks of the current automation of intellectual labour for creative processes are reflected upon alongside automated support for score production, the design of AI interpreters and the generation of speech sound layers. The manufacturing results are documented on the website www.babelmanufaktur.org. The cycle "Soundscapes of Europe: Babel 1-n" ends when the AI interpreter for each European language has been replaced by a human interpreter.
Dedicated to the composer Peter Ablinger (1959-2025) and the linguist Peter Eisenberg (1940-2025), who both passed away this year.
Supported by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and Chemnitz University of Technology. In cooperation with the Centre for Man and Technology (MeTech).
Programme details at: www.babelmanufaktur.org.
