This paper studies the use of environmental sound in electroacoustic music. The development of ideas is organised as follows:
- The author presents key theories on environmental sound by R. Murray Schafer, Barry Truax and Hildegard Westerkamp, all involved in the World Soundscape Project. She also details some experiences in the United States by John Cage, Alvin Lucier, Pauline Oliveros, and Annea Lockwood. - This second part defines electroacoustic music and its relations to musique concrète and electronic music. The author discusses historical issues, the musical and aesthetic theories published in several important books and analyses the references to soundscape works in them. - In this last part, Andra McCartney investigates the possible subversive qualities of soundscape music (as discussed by Truax).