What Is Dolby’s Sound Of A Masterpiece?

More than 2 million people in the UK are blind or partially sighted, meaning their experiences of art and creation are more about hearing and feeling – and visual art is often never experienced. But now, for the first time, blind and partially sighted people will be able to hear and feel visual artwork in a whole new way, thanks to a partnership between audio specialists Dolby and visually impaired composer Bobby Goulder. The project is called ‘Sound of a Masterpiece’; here’s how to listen.

What Is Dolby’s ‘Sound Of A Masterpiece’?

Sound of a Masterpiece is a one-of-a-kind soundtrack created by visually impaired composer Bobby Goulder, reimagining a selection of famous artistic masterpieces through music. Artworks include Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Edward Munch’s Scream, giving blind and visually impaired people in the UK the chance to enjoy and connect with these artworks in a new way.

The soundtrack is being released today (2 April) in the form of an album on Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music by Dolby Laboratories in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), with all proceeds going to the charity.

To compose the soundtrack, Goulder worked with award-winning composers from the New Radiophonic Workshop, who are best known for creating the Doctor Who theme tune as well as scores for Oscar-winning films. ‘The project combines several things close to my heart,’ Golder says. ‘The relationships across multidisciplinary art forms; the advancement of musical and sonic creative techniques; and the accessibility of the arts to the visually impaired community. Our hope is to give everyone a heightened experience of these paintings, giving each one a story rather than a snapshot or an impression.

‘I also hope that those, like me, viewing with vision loss, or unable to view at all, will connect with the images beyond the spoken audio descriptions,’ Goulder says. Goulder has a genetic retinal condition called Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, which restricts his central vision, making reading music impossible and seeing a keyboard difficult. However, he has utilised his hearing and memory to become a professional pianist, composer and musical director.

But it’s not just blind and partially sighted people Dolby and Goulder hope to help: almost half of the UK’s population says they struggle to appreciate art, understand it, and form a deep connection with it. Meanwhile, 60 percent of Brits lack confidence in their ability to interpret art, with 28 percent of people avoiding galleries altogether as a result – so as to avoid any embarrassment when they don’t ‘get it’. On the flip side, more than half (51 percent) think linking art with a sensory experience like sound would make it more engaging.

‘With Dolby Atmos, we’ve been able to push the boundaries of storytelling through sound, allowing listeners to step into the world of each artwork and experience its essence,’ shares Daniela Bischof, on Dolby Laboratories’ marketing team. ‘With so many people today struggling to connect with art, our campaign “Love Art More in Dolby” aims to bring entertainment enthusiasts on a journey, where they will be immersed from anywhere. We hope Sound of a Masterpiece will enable listeners to really feel and connect with iconic artworks, whilst making art accessible through sound – inspiring everyone to greater connect with creativity, emotion and history.’

‘We are delighted to collaborate on innovative projects such as Dolby’s Sound of a Masterpiece,’ says Robin Spinks, Head of Inclusive Design at RNIB. ‘As a low vision person, I have a limited visual appreciation of art. But the depth, texture and richness provided by the amazing soundtracks in Dolby Atmos really brings these works to life. Many more blind and partially sighted people will be able to have a heightened experience through this fantastic project and appreciate artwork in new and meaningful ways.’

Claude Monet, 1840 – 1926, The Water-Lily Pond, 1899 Oil on canvas, 88.3 × 93.1 cm Bought, 1927 ©The National Gallery, London. All rights reserved.

The ‘Sound Of A Masterpiece’ Tracklist

• Mona Lisa – Leonardo da Vinci
• The Water-Lily Pond – Claude Monet
• The Scream – Edvard Munch
• Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbirds – Frida Kahlo
• A Bigger Splash – David Hockney
• Kings of Egypt – Jean-Michel Basquiat
• The Persistence of Memory – Salvador Dalí

As well as the artwork itself, each track on the album has been inspired by a musical masterpiece, from Debussy’s impressionism to Monteverdi’s medieval grandeur to the raw energy of free jazz. The musical compositions intend to mirror the textures, emotions and contrasts within the art.

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