A man standing in a forest listening intently, noting down what he hears.

Douglas, Anne

Abstract

This essay considers how the human ear can interact with birdsong, which uses registers that are higher and faster in tempo than human music and therefore beyond the capacity and skill of most human performers. The author admires how Messaien’s ‘Le Réveil des Oiseaux (The Awakening of the Birds) (1953) has interpreted the different songs sung by the birds, changing throughout the day and used to define territory, attract a mate and communicate to other birds into a minutely observed work. However, being an artist, would she able to explore this work more deeply through Paul Klee’s ‘Zusammenhang und Früchte 1927 (translated as Connection and Fruits) works?

Citation

DOUGLAS, A. 2021. A man standing in a forest listening intently, noting down what he hears. In M. Collier, B. Hogg and J. Strachan (eds.) Song of place and time: birdsong and the dawn chorus in natural history and the arts. Manchester: Gaia Project Press [online], pages 192-203. Available from: https://tinyurl.com/yawnpn5r

• Online Publication Date: Apr 30, 2021
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 14, 2024
• Publisher: Gaia Project Press
• Pages: 192-203
• Book Title: Songs of place and time: birdsong and the dawn chorus in natural history and the arts
• ISBN: 9780993219290
• Keywords: Birdsong; Human codes; Natural world; Art
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2023603
• Publisher URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20240519151600/https://mikecollier.co.uk/index.php/2022/03/21/songs-of-place-and-time/