Ornitologia has become an intermittent blog & podcast caused by an academic relocation abroad. Stay tuned for a relevant post now and then. In the meanwhile, listen to Rádio Zero where the regular schedule is expected to resume in 2011/2012.

The last two parts of Vortex Temporum, written in 1994-1996 by the French composer Gérard Grisey (1946-1998).

1. Gérard Grisey – Vortex Temporum: II, Interludio. Ensemble Risognanze

2. Gérard Grisey — Vortex Temporum: III, Interludio. Ensemble Risognanze

Os Mostly Other People Do the Killing, e o álbum Forty Fort,depois dos concertos em Portugal na Culturgest e no Jazz ao Centro 2010. A nova temporada de música da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. A extraordinária editora em-linha SHSK’H, com os dois últimos volumes do seu catálogo – Anton Webern : Jody Pou/Emily Manzo e Solo Viola d’Amore : Garth Knox.

The american jazz band Mostly Other People Do the Killing after a few portuguese concerts, with their latest album, Forty Fort. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 2010-2011 music season. The incredible netlabel from New York, SHSK’H with their last two releases -- Anton Webern : Jody Pou/Emily Manzo and Solo Viola d’Amore : Garth Knox.

1. Mostly Other People Do The Killing – Rough and Ready. Forty Fort (Hot Cup 2010)

2. Richard Strauss – Ariadne Auf Naxos: Overture. Herbert Von Karajan: Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI)

3. Anton Webern – Op.4 No1, Eingang. Shsk’h Vol.04 – Anton Webern : Jody Pou/Emily Manzo

4. Garth Knox – Oriental Blues. Shsk’h Vol.05 – Solo Viola d’Amore : Garth Knox

The online label PublicSpaces Lab. The portuguese concerts of Emanuel Ax (recital, with the Gulbenkian orchestra and recital in Oporto). Matthias Goerne’s Die Schöne Müllerin with Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Gulbenkian Foundation. The Clean Feed Festival in New York and Chicago.

1. Subterminal – Bright Dawn Sketches: Awakenings (PublicSpaces Lab 2010)

2. Schubert – Sonata In a Major, Op. 120, D. 664 : III. Allegro. Sviatoslav Richter (DOREMI 2009)

3. Schubert – Die Schöne Müllerin Op.25 D.795: Das Wandern. Matthias Goerne & Christoph Eschenbach (harmonia mundi 2009)

4. Tony Malaby’s Apparitions – Voladores: Los Voladores (Clean Feed 2009)

No programa de hoje apresenta-se a estreia nacional da ópera de câmara de Pedro Amaral, O Sonho, na Gulbenkian a 3 de Maio. Ouvem-se duas novidades da etiqueta Tzadik de John Zorn: Ipos: Book of Angels, Vol. 14 e Pastrami Bagel Social Club. Por fim, uma visita à programação do próximo Jazz em Agosto com o Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble.

Today’s Ornitologia presents the chamber opera by the portuguese composer Pedro Amaral: O Sonho, based on Fernando Pessoa’s Salomé. The portuguese premier is on 3th May at the Gulbenkian Foundation. Also two releases by John Zorn’s Tzadik label: Ipos: Book of Angels, Vol. 14 and Pastrami Bagel Social Club. Finally, a glimpse of the next Jazz em Agosto festival with the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble.

1. Richard Strauss – Salomé: La danse des sept voiles. Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon, Kent Nagano (Virgin Classics 1991)

2. The Dreamers – Ipos: Book of Angels, Vol. 14: Chachmiel (Tzadik 2010)

3. AutorYno – Pastrami Bagel Social Club: Crapaud (Tzadik 2010)

4. Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble – The Moment’s Energy: Incandescent Clouds (ECM 2009)

The Red Trio interview was recorded in a restaurant using the Zoom H2 placed in the center of the table, recording with the four microphones in surround and 48 kHz/24 bit, medium (M) gain. The pair of stereo tracks were imported to Ableton Live and the front to back ratio was adjusted with Live’s mixer and crossfader. Some processing was used in the master track: BIAS GatEx gate/expander to reduce room noise, Voxengo Voxformer in the mid/side mode to reduce the stereo image, to compress the signal and to remove voice sibilances. Finally, some EQ and gain was added using the PSP RetroQ plugin and limiting was applied with Voxengo Elephant. The final mix was exported to stereo and the interview was then edited with BIAS Peak Express in the handy blending mode.

As usual, the complete episodes were also mixed in a Ableton Live from the tracks: 1 Voiceover, 2 Effect and 3 Music (one more, 4 Interview in the 18/4 episode). Additionally, a more sophisticated mixer with four return tracks configuration was used:  A Effect Ducker (voiceover + music, sends only) for ducking the effects during music or voiceover (side-chain input in a compressor); B Reverb (voiceover + music + effect,  -55 dB to the master track), long Live reverb (1.28 s) for blending the voiceover, effects and music together (only kicks in when the effect or voiceover are present); C Vocal Reverb (voiceover, -42 dB to the master) short vocal Live reverb (377 ms); and D Voice+effect (voice + effect, sends only) for gating the long reverb (as shown in the picture above).

The novelty in the last two shows was a new dynamic microphone, the Beyerdynamic M 201 TG. It requires a very different mic technique from the large condenser I’ve been using, as it has a strong proximity effect (see frequency response). I’ve placed it much too close and without a pop-filter, thus the results aren’t that great. Also, it needs much more amplification from the mic preamp and I had no time nor monitoring system to check the EQ. I’ll try to improve on these results, as it is seems a good microphone for the less than perfect surroundings where I usually record the show.

In today’s show, three portuguese events: the Festa da Música at Belém Cultural Center and Le Nozze de Figaro at Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, both in Lisbon and the cycle Música e Revolução at Oporto’s Casa da Música. Also, the concerts of Miguel Borges Coelho and a new recording by Artur Pizarro.

1. Fernando Lopes Graça – Duas Canções Heróicas: Acordai (1º Caderno). Coro de Câmara Lisboa Cantat & Clara Alcobia Coelho (Numérica 2007)

2. Jorge Peixinho – Estudo III. Miguel Borges Coelho (Numérica 2005)

3. José Afonso – Canto Da Primavera. Rui Pato

4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Le Nozze di Figaro K.492. Overture. London Philharmonic Orchestra. Georg Solti (Elite Classics 1987)

5. Isaac Albéniz – Iberia, Libro 3: Lavapiés. Artur Pizarro (Linn 2010)

Interview (in portuguese) with Red Trio. On the dinner table their first record on the Clean Feed label, the shows with John Butcher and other subjects related to this novel portuguese improvised music group.

1. Red Trio – Coda, Static. Red Trio (Clean Feed 2010).

2. Red Trio – Core. Red Trio (Clean Feed 2010).

3. John Butcher & Paal Nilssen-Love – Point Lobos. Concentric (Clean Feed 2006)

More free music: John Bucther solo live at ISSUE Project Room (11/11/09).

A Paixão Segundo São Mateus de Bach na Gulbenkian, dirigida por Corboz. Niobe, Rainha de Tebas de Agostino Steffani no São Carlos. Madalena aos Pés de Cristo do compositor veneziano Antonio Caldara pelo Divino Sospiro. A Quinta Sinfonia de Mahler pela Metropolitana de Lisboa dirigida por Michael Zilm.

Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Gulbenkian Foundation. Steffani’s Niobe, Regina di Tebe at Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. Caldara’s Maddalena ai Piedi di Cristo and Mahler’s 5th Symphony at the Belém Cultural Center.

1. J. S. Bach – Matthäuspassion BWV 244: Aria (Bass), “Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder”. Matthias Goerne, Hilary Hahn, Münchener Kammerorchester, Alexander Liebreich, Rosario Conte, Kristin von der Goltz & Naoki Kitaya – Bach: Violin and Voice (DG 2010).

2. J. S. Bach – Matthäuspassion BWV 244: Aria (Sopran) “Ich Will Dir Mein Herze Schenken”. Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe & Sibylla Rubens (hamonia mundi 1999)

3. Agostino Steffani – Niobe, regina di Tebe: Sinfonia. Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca (Divox Antiqua 2000)

4. Antonio Caldara – Maddalena ai Piedi di Cristo, Aria Maddalena: “Per il Mar del Pianto Mio”. Chiara Banchini, Maria Christina Kiehr, Orchestre de la Schola Cantorum Basiliensis & René Jacobs. René Jacobs by Himself (harmonia mundi 2006)

5. Gustav Mahler – Symphony N. 5: Funeral March. Uri Caine. Urlicht/Primal Light (Winter & Winter 1997)

Today’s Ornitologia celebrates Bach’s birthday and previews three concerts in Portugal: Carlos Barreto with Kirk Lightsey at the Belém Cultural Center, the Zehetmair Quartet at the Gulbenkian Foundation and the John Cage tribute at Oporto’s Casa da Música.

1. J. S. Bach – Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Cantata BWV 140: Arie (Duett): “Wann kommst du, mein Heil?”. Christine Schafer, Matthias Goerne, Hilary Hahn, Münchener Kammerorchester, Alexander Liebreich, Rosario Conte, Kristin von der Goltz & Naoki Kitaya – Bach: Violin and Voice (DG 2010).

2. J. S. Bach – Die Kunst Der Fugue: Contrapunctus 13a Contrapunctus inversus. Grigory Sokolov (Opus 111 2002)

3. Beethoven – String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135: II. Vivace. Takács Quartet (Decca 2004).

4. John Cage – Sixteen Dances: No. 9 [The Odious]. Gil Rose & Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP/sound 2009).

5. You and the Night. Kirk Lightsey, Famoudou Don Moye & Tibor Elekes – Estate (Itinera – Pomigliano Jazz 2009).

This week Ornitologia presents three concerts in Lisbon: Drumming GP at the Gulbenkian Fundation, the Gulbenkian Orchestra with Zandra Macmaster and Christopher Maltman plays Mahler and Marcus Stenze conducts the Portuguese Symphonic Orchestra.

2. Gustav Mahler – Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Revelge. Dietrich Henschel, Philippe Herreweghe, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées (Harmonia Mundi 2006).

3. Gustav Mahler – Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Urlicht. Sarah Connolly, Philippe Herreweghe, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées (Harmonia Mundi 2006).

4. Joseph Haydn – Sinfonie Nr. 104 D-Dur Hob. i:104: Finale: Spirituoso. Markus Stenze, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln (GO Live! 2005).

1. Claude Debussy – Quarteto para Cordas em Sol menor, op. 10: 1. Scherzo, Assez vif et bien rythmé (Deutsche Grammophon 1994).

2. Claude Debussy – Quarteto para Cordas em Sol menor, op. 10: 3. Andantino doucement expressif (Deutsche Grammophon 1994).

3. Mozart – Sonata para piano n.º 16 en do maior, K. 545: 2. Andante (Denon 1990)

4. Will Holshouser Trio with Bernardo Sasseti – Palace Ghosts and Drunken Hymns: Dança Palaciana (Carlos Paredes) (Clean Feed 2009).

1. Hans Zender – Schubert’s “Winterreise”-eine Komponierte Interpretation – Gute Nacht. Christoph Prégardien, Klangforum Wien, Sylvain Cambreling (KAIROS 1999)

2. Hans Zender – Schubert’s “Winterreise”-eine Komponierte Interpretation – Der Lindenbaum. Christoph Prégardien, Klangforum Wien, Sylvain Cambreling (KAIROS 1999)

4. Wolfgang Mitterer – Im Sturm: No. 3. Break. Wolfgang Mitterer & Georg Nigl (col legno 2009)

5. Wolfgang Mitterer – Im Sturm: No. 10. Poor Visibility. Wolfgang Mitterer & Georg Nigl (col legno 2009)

Sui poemi concentrici is KAIROS’ latest release and also the most recent recording of a Salvatore Sciarrino’s piece. This concert music is based on a score that Sciarrino wrote for a TV  reading of Dante’s La Divina Comedia.

1. Salvatore Sciarrino – Sui poemi concentrici I, ensemble recherche, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Peter Rundel [excerpt]

2. Salvatore Sciarrino – Sui poemi concentrici II, ensemble recherche, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Peter Rundel [excerpt]

3. Salvatore Sciarrino – Sui poemi concentrici III, ensemble recherche, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Peter Rundel [excerpt]

Ornitologia wishes a wonderful 2010 for its listeners. Regular program schedule will resume January 10th.