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Book Review
May. 1st, 2012 07:37 pmThe Great Animal Orchestra: Finding the Origins of Music in the World's Wild Places
by Bernie Krause
Krause has dedicated much of his life to recording the soundscapes of remote, wild places such as northern tundras, tropical rainforests, and desert plains. In The Great Animal Orchestra, Krause conveys what he has learned about the natural world and human music through his career. His discussions of the soundscapes of the natural world are fascinating, and bring to light something most people never truly contemplate or experience. The sound world created by animals, insects, and even fish are rich and surprisingly organized in a way similar to that of a good orchestration. What is even more fascinating is what these soundscapes reveal about the status and even health of ecosystems, and what they reveal about the origins of music. My only real criticism of the book is that Krause did not go into enough detail about the possible relationships between natural soundscapes and music. He could also have been a bit more technical about this topic. However, his clear love for these sounds and his passionate environmentalism make for an enjoyable and inspiring read.
I received an advance readers copy in a GoodReads giveaway.
by Bernie Krause
Krause has dedicated much of his life to recording the soundscapes of remote, wild places such as northern tundras, tropical rainforests, and desert plains. In The Great Animal Orchestra, Krause conveys what he has learned about the natural world and human music through his career. His discussions of the soundscapes of the natural world are fascinating, and bring to light something most people never truly contemplate or experience. The sound world created by animals, insects, and even fish are rich and surprisingly organized in a way similar to that of a good orchestration. What is even more fascinating is what these soundscapes reveal about the status and even health of ecosystems, and what they reveal about the origins of music. My only real criticism of the book is that Krause did not go into enough detail about the possible relationships between natural soundscapes and music. He could also have been a bit more technical about this topic. However, his clear love for these sounds and his passionate environmentalism make for an enjoyable and inspiring read.
I received an advance readers copy in a GoodReads giveaway.
