Ornithology II. Stereophonics

Alessandro Perini – “Ornithology II. Stereophonics” (2023)
for four 3D-printed microtonal ocarinas, piccolo flute, soprano recorder and electronic track

The piece was composed using bird recordings made at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Research Station during a residency organized by the BioArt Society in Finnish Lapland. While trekking along the border of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, I encountered two birds singing as if they were the left and right channels of a stereo track, calling to each other. Polyrhythmic structures were developed from these recordings, with six performers playing at different tempos: some at 97 BPM, others at 80 BPM. The pitch material was also derived from these recordings, expanding the latent harmonies present in the birds’ songs. For this piece, I used 3D-printed ocarinas modified for microtonal tuning, alongside a piccolo and a recorder.

Part of “Kilpisjärvi Sessions”, a cycle of seven pieces written for Collettivo_21.