DOLOMITES SYMPHONY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

How a work of art is created from image and sound

The 40th anniversary of the südtirol festival merano loomed on the horizon, and with it the idea of placing South Tyrol's uniquely beautiful Dolomite mountain world at the center of the celebrations. As a tribute to the pale mountains, the goal was to create a collectiv work of art, a symphony of photography in which music and images merge.

Inspired by the idea and initial photographic impressions, composer and Oscar winner Rachel Portmann traveled to South Tyrol to experience the Dolomites in person.

But on those midsummer days, persistent rainy weather prevailed, windy and cold, with the peaks of the Dolomites hidden behind a thick wall of clouds; the outlook was bleak. Nevertheless, a small group, well-wrapped in wind and rain jackets, boarded the cable car. After a breathtaking ride to steep heights, a flurry of snow and 10 cm of fresh snow awaited them at the mountain station. But within minutes, cracks appeared in the clouds, and suddenly the sky broke open. The Dolomites had put on their best show for Hollywood: From the initial, gently covering white blanket to gurgling meltwater streams and the early summer flower meadow, the full panorama was played out in cinematic style within a few hours. Rachel Portman's enthusiasm for the pale mountains was ignited.