Six Ecoacoustic Quintets/Avian Telemetry
Ravello, 2020
9/10
Listen to Six Ecoacoustic Quintets/Avian Telemetry
The always impressive Matthew Burtner returns with Omar Carmenates, the Furman Percussion Ensemble, and the Shi Center for Sustainability for an accomplished body of work that often points at nature while possessing the capacity for very exciting, often unclassifiable sounds.
Six Ecoacoustic Quintets opens with 6 movements that appropriately leads with the soothing sounds of “Water (ice)” being strategically manipulated with percussion, which leads into the playful execution of “Wood (pitch)”, as well as the more abrasive noises of “Metal (noise)”, which, understandably, is percussively heavy. This half of the listen ends with the very fascinating air portion of just voices used in unconventional ways on “Air (breath)”, and “Skin (bones)” finishes things out with actual body percussion, i.e the noises of slapping one’s self.
Avian Telemetry comprises the back half of the listen and leads with the sound of birds on “Songscape Anthrophony”, before the narration by Michele Speitz on the ominous “Aeolian Poetics”. Deeper into this portion, “Transliteration 2: Ecologies Of Sound In Nature Cultures” finds a meditative place to reside with much attention to mood as light, calming instrumentation enters, and “Birds Why Are Ye Silent?” exits the listen with poetic storytelling amid a very graceful finish.
Ultimately a firm commentary about human’s place in nature, and the challenges, responsibilities and expectations that come with it, this is an absorbing and enlightening experience that you can’t help but admire.
Travels well with: Svjetlana Bukvich- Extension; Taktus- Mirrored Glass