For Birds, Planes and Cello

Chronique

Miya Masaoka's For Birds, Planes & Cello, released on the composer's own Solitary B label, features Joan Jeanrenaud as soloist in a work that is built out of two field recordings, one of a bird sanctuary located outside of San Diego, and the other of airport traffic. A CD devoted to a long, single work, For Birds, Planes & Cello follows a very distinct psychological form that is highly satisfying, organized around various densities of the overall texture, with the solo cello functioning as a connecting tissue that marries the two main elements together. Jeanrenaud demonstrates considerable patience in realizing a non-virtuosic part that is a key textural element, yet does not give her the spotlight: not all star performers would go for that. Her role is crucial, however; if the work is representative of a sonic contrast between Aves and their metallic, manmade counterparts, then the cello seems to represent a spectator, or rather, the central nervous system of one. For Birds, Planes & Cello is a distant descendent of classic electro-acoustic works like Varèse's Poème Electronique and Xenakis' Diamorphoses. However, there are some significant departures from such models - there is very little negative space in For Birds, Planes & Cello until the very end, where Masaoka does not seek to conceal or disguise her sounds by any masking or processing and, naturally, the on-location sound recordings are of much higher quality than was possible in the 1950s. The distribution of birds in the sonic space, determined by their flight patterns within the sanctuary, is captured in the field recording with striking precision. Masaoka's piece is a fascinating and creative restructuring of some basic notions regarding environmental recording and might make believers out of those skeptical about the effectiveness of combining environmental sound within a musical work of serious intent.
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