ABSTRACT
The chapter presents the results of research on the reception of Wrocław’s soundscapes during the first lockdown, from March to June 2020, based on source materials obtained with a self-administered questionnaire, collected written reports, and our own observations. Furthermore, published articles and diaries concerning the sonic dimension of other Polish cities were also taken into account for an additional comparative analysis. The theoretical framework of the research combines the concepts of ‘urban ambiance’ from Jean-Paul Thibaud and ‘schizophony’ from R. Murray Schafer. The chapter deals with issues of the reception of ‘pandemic sounds’ (e.g., messages from the police), the highly ambivalent experience of silence and sounds of home space, as well as the aesthetic and affective qualifications of urban ambiance tonalities during the lockdown period.
