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Critic Enthralled by Work Featuring River Sounds and Even Fish Farts
🇫🇮 Finland /Culture & Society

Critic Enthralled by Work Featuring River Sounds and Even Fish Farts

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Composer Annea Lockwood and flutist Claire Chase are collaborating on a piece inspired by the Elwha River's recovery.
  • The work incorporates natural sounds, including "fish farting" and animal calls, alongside electronic processing and live performance.
  • Lockwood, known as a "world's best listener," has a history of creating music from unconventional sources like burning pianos and breaking glass.

In the serene setting of Viitasaari Church, a unique artistic endeavor is unfolding, blending avant-garde music with the sounds of nature. Composer Annea Lockwood, 86, and acclaimed flutist Claire Chase are preparing to perform Lockwood's "Elwha," a piece inspired by the ecological recovery of the Elwha River near Seattle.

It was my Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus moment.

— Annea LockwoodDescribing her transformative experience at a 1961 new music festival in Darmstadt, Germany.

The composition promises an immersive auditory experience, incorporating field recordings of the river's ecosystem, which reportedly include the sounds of "fish farting" and the mating calls of deer. These natural soundscapes are interwoven with Chase's virtuosic flute playing and electronic manipulations, creating a rich sonic tapestry.

Lockwood, a New Zealand-born composer celebrated for her deep listening practices, has a history of transforming unconventional sounds into music. Her past works include "Glass Music," which utilized the sounds of breaking glass, and performances where she incorporated the varied sounds of burning pianos. She describes her encounter with LaMonte Young's minimalist performance in 1961 as a "Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus moment," awakening her to the potential of minimalist means to create vast sonic worlds.

What a vastly rich sound world can be opened up with the smallest of means.

— Annea LockwoodReflecting on the impact of minimalist music on her artistic development.

Chase, a leading figure in contemporary music, was inspired to pursue the flute after seeing one in a symphony concert as a child. Her engagement with new music was solidified by Edgar Varèse's "Density 21.5." She is currently undertaking a "Density" project, commissioning new works for flute annually until 2036, mirroring Varèse's iconic piece.

What a vastly rich sound palette arises from different kinds of glass!

— Annea LockwoodRecalling her "Glass Music" concerts where she used breaking glass as a sound source.

The collaboration between Lockwood and Chase, both pioneers in their respective fields, highlights a growing trend in contemporary music to engage with environmental themes and explore the sonic possibilities of the natural world.

I needed multi-layered sounds of burning. Old upright pianos that are taken out of use are excellent because they have a lot of differently burning wood materials, metal, and cavities.

— Annea LockwoodExplaining her motivation for incorporating burning pianos into her work.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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