The Art of Noises is a
Futurist manifesto, written by
Luigi Russolo in a 1913 letter to friend and Futurist composer
Francesco Balilla Pratella. In it, Russolo argues that the human ear has become accustomed to the speed, energy, and
noise of the
urban industrial soundscape; furthermore, this new sonic palette requires a new approach to musical instrumentation and composition. He proposes a number of conclusions about how
electronics and other technology will allow futurist musicians to "substitute for the limited variety of timbres that the orchestra possesses today the infinite variety of timbres in noises, reproduced with appropriate mechanisms".