1977
In his September 1977 report for High Fidelity / Musical America, composer and critic Elliott Schwartz reviewed the ISCM World Music Days in Bonn, Germany, noting that the "environment" had become a primary musical material, with Max Neuhaus as a leading figure.
Schwartz observed a shift in the international avant-garde away from the concert hall. He highlighted how Neuhaus’s work integrated into the urban fabric of Bonn, making the city’s natural and architectural "environment" an active participant in the music High Fidelity / Musical America Archive.
The review discussed Neuhaus’s ability to create "invisible" installations. Schwartz noted that rather than adding a performance to a space, Neuhaus’s electronic sounds seemed to emanate from the site itself, a concept Neuhaus termed Aural Topography.
The "Radio Net" Context: Although the Bonn festival was a live event, Schwartz connected Neuhaus’s spatial work there to his recent "Radio Net" success in the U.S., framing Neuhaus as an artist who builds networks of sound that encompass entire geographic territories.