Growing Up With Shanghai: Xinhua Lu | 与沪成长- 新华路



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录于2009年7月7日下午6:02。
新华路风景如画,这里曾经是上海典型的法租界区。街道两旁矗立着梧桐树,还有老上海爬满葡萄藤的公寓,让人很容易误以为来到了欧洲某个城镇。Samantha一辈子都生活在这条街道上。实际上,她的许多亲戚仍然生活在这里,可以看出她对家庭多么看重。在她的回忆里,满是这些画面:她的家庭、与爷爷在一起的时光、花坛边的嬉戏打闹、面包店及面包打折时的热闹景象、在操场上玩的那些冒险游戏以及大胆的"营救"。新华路的确是Samantha和她的家庭生活的一部分。

这次漫步是我最开心的一次,就是因为有这么多令我吃惊的巧遇,还有在后院能够感受的生活画面。我们听见过路的汽车加速、减速的声音,人们悠闲的谈话。我们进入她的住所时,篮球场、建筑工地及小孩的哭闹声汇集在一起,构建了一幅令人惊叹的景象。最后,锦上添花的是,我们碰巧在结束漫步时来到一个能从街道上听见钢琴声的地方——那优美的琴声仿佛超级大片的片尾曲。就是这些偶然发现的瞬间构成了录音材料的精华。任何录音材料展示的都不仅仅是录入的声音,原因就在于其中包含了那些不可能再现的美妙场景。

我觉得这个录音真实地展示了这里的生活画面。录音本身是生动活泼的,但由于基本都发生于城市环境中,因此也并非过于张扬。

我希望您和我们一样能享受录音材料带来的愉悦。


Recorded July 12, 2009 at 11:19 a.m.

Xinhua Lu is a picturesque road typical to the French Concession area of Shanghai. Lined on both sides with Parasol trees and vintage mansions of old Shanghai, one can easily mistake this for a European town. Samantha has lived along this road her entire life. In fact, many of her relatives still live in this area, which shows how important family is to her. Her memories are filled with: her family, time spent with her Grandfather, jumping across flower terraces, bakery discount bread–runs, and her precarious playground adventures resulting in a daring rescue. Xinhua Lu is truly a part of her life and her family.

This walk was one of my favorites just because of the amazing coincidences and the life that can be heard in the background. The rise and fall of gently passing cars and random conversations can be heard. When we entered her residential complex, the sounds of the basketball courts, construction, and baby crying all created an amazing picture. The finale was the icing on the cake as we happened to end up in front of a place where a piano could be heard from the street–like exit music to a great movie. It is these serendipitous moments that create the essence of these recordings. The realization that they can never be recreated is why each of these recordings are more than just sound.

I felt that this recording truly captured the life of this area. The recording itself is so dynamic and alive – yet not too overbearing as is usually assumed in an urban setting.

I hope that you enjoy this recording as much as we do.