Audio stream files, sound spectrum images, and 24hr-to-1min timelapse videos above land on-site, 2005-2011: www.doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.773610, 2013: www.doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.844106?format=html
"Scientific background: Marine mammals use sound for communication, navigation and prey detection. Acoustic sensors therefore allow the detection of marine mammals, even during polar winter months, when restricted visibility prohibits visual sightings. The animals are surrounded by a permanent natural soundscape, which, in polar waters, is mainly dominated by the movement of ice. In addition to the detection of marine mammals, acoustic long-term recordings provide information on intensity and temporal variability of characteristic natural and anthropogenic background sounds, as well as their influence on the vocalization of marine mammals.
Scientific objectives: The PerenniAL Acoustic Observatory in the Antarctic Ocean (PALAOA, Hawaiian "whale") near Neumayer Station is intended to record the underwater soundscape in the vicinity of the shelf ice edge over the duration of several years. These long-term recordings will allow studying the acoustic repertoire of whales and seals continuously in an environment almost undisturbed by humans. The data will be analyzed to (1) register species specific vocalizations, (2) infer the approximate number of animals inside the measuring range, (3) calculate their movements relative to the observatory, and (4) examine possible effects of the sporadic shipping traffic on the acoustic and locomotive behaviour of marine mammals.
The data, which are largely free of anthropogenic noise, provide also a base to set up passive acoustic mitigation systems used on research vessels. Noise-free bioacoustic data thereby represent the foundation for the development of automatic pattern recognition procedures in the presence of interfering sounds, e.g. propeller noise."
For more information, please have a look at their joint paper on the whole project here.
In 1984, at the age of 71, conductor Sergiu Celibidache agreed to give a three-week intensive rehearsal and teaching residency at the Curtis Institute of Music which culminated in a performance at a Carnegie Hall 60th anniversary benefit concert with the student orchestra. It was also Celibidache's "American debut".
First, what Harold C. Schonberg wrote the night before this concert.
Then what John Rockwell wrote the night after.
Then, listen to the unreleased tape of the concert.
Also, here is a transcript of one of his sessions from this time at Curtis.
Susan Synnestvedt, a member of the Chicago Symphony who was concertmaster of the Curtis orchestra during Celibidache`s visit recalled, "He is obsessed with trying to create certain moods and colors. His whole concept is that every phrase has a shape and it comes from one phrase and leads to another. He feels there is a truth in music, and it should be discovered." For further research...
John McLellan (1968 - Oct. 29, 2014)
An extraordinary musician; a truly original drummer and improviser in a language of rhythmic orchestration and dynamics, counterpoint in ideas, space, touch, spirit...
The recent passing of this dear friend and close associate of ours had a most profound affect on us all. The cause of his death was Mesothelioma. I saw him for the last time on October 26th at Tuft's Hospital in Boston.
I was first introduced to Johnny through violist Mat Maneri back in 2004. They already had a deep rapport going back many years, and a closely connected family style of improvisation developed with the father of it, Joe Maneri... something which can only really thoroughly be understood via aural transmission, listening and first-hand experience, rehearsals... Around the same time I also formed a quartet with Johnny, saxophonist Jonathan Moritz and Eivind Opsvik, which we called THE UP.
Back in July of 2010 at a gig of guitarist Chris Welcome's quartet, I happened to have my camera with me and simply couldn't take it off Johnny. He was killing me! On display for all to see... At his best. Taking the music to levels only he could. On the day of his death, it suddenly hit me that it was time to release this footage. (For years I wasn't quite sure what to do with it, since it was essentially focused on him.) Luckily I had just gotten it back, as it was on a hard drive which had recently broken and cost me hundreds of dollars to get the data back from. It is the only video that exists of its kind, and a truly important document of his character which needs to be more widely understood and appreciated. He is so beautiful, so brilliant, entranced, serving the music so fully, so originally, so naturally. Watching it for me now is essentially prayer in his remembrance. I feel relieved that more people will see and hear him in action like this now. Chris's music too and the playing of all involved is also so important and connected, sympathetic, honest, inspired...
With love, I offer,
Excerpt from a conversation between John Cage and Morton Feldman, 1967: 1) 25:28. [source]
Erwin Nyiregyhazi
At a thrift shop I frequent on the upper west side of Manhattan where LPs are $1 each, a came across this record not knowing who Ervin Nyíregyházi was, just going by the jacket which made it clear these were historic recordings of someone quite phenomenal. It wasn't until the following day when I listened to the music and read the notes on the inside that in the matter of an hour my life was changed forever by this incredible story and pianism.
Links of interest: Wikipedia entry; Documentary posted on Youtube; the 2007 biography "Lost Genius" (priced at just cents!, used...) ; Various other recordings and memorabilia...
Also, the remaining out-of-print CBS recordings from the 1978 sessions (continued from Side A on the above LP), which are in fact the only studio recordings of him which exist. Nyiregyhazi's piano playing is about the most engaging I've ever heard, in particular for this music.
Alternate takes, superimposed
March 2010. It crossed my mind how on a lot of the old jazz records, alternate takes were often about the same length. Revisiting some of these albums after many years and listening to them with these tracks superimposed offered an exciting new insight into the sound of this music, perspectives on autonomy and indeterminacy naturally relevant to improvisation. A joyous play on these musicians' sounds and songs, multiplying aspects of this aural history into an abstracted afterlife of collage. So simple and so affecting!
July 2005. SOUND COLLAGE. 1) 2:25
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